Understanding loyalty in multichannel retailing: the role of brand trust and brand attachment

Purpose. The purpose of this paper it to understand loyalty in the multichannel retail context. The paper analyses the interplay between offline and online loyalty and the direct and indirect effects on loyalty of brand trust and brand attachment, in a cross-cultural study. Design/methodology/approach. Online survey answered by 761 multichannel apparel shoppers in two countries (UK and Spain). SEM multigroup analysis is performed to test the hypothesized relations and the role of culture as a moderating variable. Findings. Online loyalty is largely driven by offline loyalty, which is also positively affected by brand trust and brand attachment. These relationships hold across the two different cultures. Research limitations/implications. The findings confirm the validity of applying the theory of cognitive dissonance to explain multichannel shopping behaviours. We did not find culture affects the relationships in our model; however, the validity of these findings should be tested considering other cultural variables different from nationality. Practical implications. Multichannel retailers should focus on building trust and attachment towards the brand if they want to get online and offline loyalty. The efforts to build stronger bonds between the customer and the retail brand translate into higher loyalty, particularly towards the offline channels. Originality/value. This paper extends the literature on the interactions between online and offline behaviour by focusing on the power of the brand to build strong customer bonds. Our model considers the role of brand attachment together with brand trust in offline and online loyalty simultaneously

Perceived congruence and online loyalty as segmentation variables in multichannel retailing: a comparison between appparel and electronics

As the interest of the literature on congruity between offline and online stores is relatively recent, empirical evidence is required to help marketing managers choose the most effective ways of contributing to the formation of consistent offerings as well as their contribution to generate customer loyalty. This study examines whether congruity can help to identify segments of heterogeneous consumers that differ significantly regarding these variables as well as other constructs related to the customer relationship with the retailer. The study attempts to identify which congruity attribute(s) are most relevant for differentiating customers by their loyalty towards the online store, so that retailers can design strategies for improving congruity between physical and online stores, and ultimately, increase online store loyalty

Competitive (versus Loyal) Showrooming: An Application of the Push-Pull-Mooring Framework

Showrooming is an increasingly popular practic that threatens retailers' performance. This paper adopts the push-pull-mooring framework to understand the shopper decision to purchase online from a different retailer (competitive showrooming) rather than from the same retailer visited to gather information (loyal showrooming). Going beyond the customer motivation to get the best value, we focus on retailer-situational variables (store crowding and quality of salesperson service) and retailer-relational variables (customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty) in the decision on competitive (vs loyal) showrooming. Data was collected via a survey answered by 659 showroomers and analysed using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to unveil different patterns of competitive showrooming. Results highlight the role of mooring factors, such as a strong customer-retailer relationship and quality salespersons' service, in reducing competitive showrooming

Multichannel integration services: Consumer decision making in integrated sales channels

As digitalization and technological innovations have blurred the line between physical and electronic channels, enormous growth rates in internet use have motivated most established retailers to expand their business to include online sales. These multichannel retailers are now under severe pressure from pure online retailers, since their physical infrastructure decreases their ability to compete via prices. While this infrastructure could also present opportunities to differentiate themselves by offering integrated multichannel services, their appeal is not fully understood by either researchers or practitioners. Building upon previous studies in online and offline commerce, this study investigates and explains the impact of different multichannel integration services on consumers’ channel selection preferences. The results indicate that the appeal of integrated multichannel offerings differs widely from the previously investigated channel options. Accordingly, channel convergence requires research to adapt to technological advancements and apply a more complex view to the study of multichannel commerce

Investigating the antecedents of customer online repurchase intention in a multichannel environment

The evolution of internet technology, rapid digitalization, and the introduction of multiple channels strongly influence the managers and researchers to discover and update how customers better interact in a multichannel environment. Therefore, in today’s multichannel environment, the question of whether multiple channels should be implemented is no longer the focus. More important is the question of how the multiple channels can be handled synergistically to maximize the customer repeat purchase behavior. The current quantitative study attempts to understand whether the role of channel integration helps in customer movement from the firm’s offline channel to the firm’s online channel. Data have been collected from a sample of 358 experienced online customers from different cities of Pakistan and analyzed through smart PLS. The results of the study confirm that the customer previous interaction with the firm offline channel significantly affects the customer perception about the firm’s online channel. Additionally, the results of the study also confirm the moderating role of channel integration and offline image in the transfer of customer perceptions form offline channel to online channel. Although each channel may offer a unique value proposition, channel integration can drive overall customer satisfaction and repeat purchase behavior in a relational, multichannel environment. Therefore, it is pertinent for the firms and managers to not only focus on their new online channel but also their performance in the offline channel to provide a better purchase experience for the customers across multiple channels. Moreover, integrating multiple channels can provide a synergy that helps the firms to achieve competitive advantage

Developing trends in showrooming, webrooming, and omnichannel shopping behaviors: Performance analysis, conceptual mapping, and future directions

In an omnichannel era, businesses and marketers need insights into the dynamics of customer shopping behaviors, particularly the interplay between omnichannel, showrooming, and webrooming behaviors. This study investigates the evolution and trends of the research and channel shopping behaviors (RCSB) domain, spanning from 1998 to 2022, including the Covid-19 era. The study performed a bibliometric review of 500 papers in the Scopus database. The performance analysis reveals an annual growth rate of nearly 16%, with average citations per document of 44, indicating sustained and growing research interest. Science mapping revealed five distinct cluster themes, including showrooming and webrooming in multi- and omni-channel contexts; consumer behavior in online retail and shopping; customer satisfaction and trust in multi-channel retailing; mobile commerce in a multi-channel environment; and the interplay between online shopping, channel choice, and supply chain management. Furthermore, topics, such as showrooming, e-commerce, retailing, and omnichannel retailing, remain popular before and during the pandemic, as seen in the thematic evolution. Our examination of the thematic maps revealed various topics that gained significance during the pandemic, such as multichannel, channel choice, customer experience, social commerce, purchase behavior, and covid-19. Among these, the thematic maps indicate that customer experience, channel choice, multichannel, and covid-19 are emerging and basic topics. These topics can steer research directions in the RCSB domain toward examining customer experiences using digital innovations, e-commerce (including mobile and social commerce), and omnichannel strategy and management

Conceptualization of Relational Assurance Mechanisms - A Literature Review on Relational Assurance Mechanisms, Their Antecedents and Effects

Assurance mechanisms are an important element of relational governance and frequently used in information systems (IS) research; still missing in this field, however, is a coherent and interrelated structure to organize available knowledge. In this study, we provide a first step towards development of a conceptualization framework of relational assurance mechanisms to enable their further investigation. From our analysis of existing literature, we discover two gaps in assurance research: (1) a fragmentation of assurance research and (2) a lack of conceptual consensus on relational assurance mechanisms. We provide a theoretical framework consisting of a conceptualization of identified relational assurance mechanisms, their antecedents and effects as a means of advancing theory in this area. Several possibilities for future research are discussed

WHEN PRIVACY PROCLIVITY MEET COVID-19: NO LONGER CONCERNS OF TODAY’S M-COMMERCE USERS?

This is continuous research of our previous publication (Thomas et al., 2021). A new two by two study (Before and After COVID 19) X (China and the US culture) was designed to test the moderated mediation effect of the COVID pandemic on M-commerce user’s privacy proclivity, trust, and M-commerce intention! A new sample was collected from two countries in different time periods (Before and after COVID pandemic) to investigate whether M-commerce users’ concern about privacy proclivity has changed after COVID-19. Built on top of our 2021 publication, this study discovered that privacy proclivity no longer has a significant direct impact on consumers’ M-commerce intentions after COVID, as consumers’ desires for convenience outweigh their privacy risk concerns. However, privacy proclivity still has significant influence on consumers’ M-commerce Trust, therefore, it has an indirect impact on M-commerce intentions, but the impact is limited. Finally, the results from Hayes’ PROCESS replicated our previous study findings that culture plays a moderating role in the relationship between privacy proclivity and m-commerce trust after COVID-19 outbreak (Thomas et al., 2021). The impact of privacy proclivity is stronger on M-commerce Trust in China than in the US

Exploring the effect of online shopping motivations on purchase intention applied to cosmetics

This thesis’ aim is to explore the effect of online shopping motivations in the online purchase intention of cosmetics. A proposed conceptual model that helps to understand what are the main motivations that lead consumers to purchasing cosmetics online is presented. Specifically, this thesis research model proposal is about online cosmetics consumers’ behavior considering their motivations and online purchase intention. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand what motivations are relevant for increasing online purchase intention of cosmetics by consumers. In order to understand consumers’ motivations and degree of online purchase intention, the previously developed studies about motivations and purchase intention (Dodds et al., 1991; Arnold et al., 2003; Martínez-López et al., 2014) were consulted and the scales were adapted to fit the present study research, applied to the Portuguese consumers. A quantitative and exploratory study was conducted. For data collection, an online questionnaire was applied to 286 individuals. Results showed that online shopping motivations are a great predictor of online purchase intention. Also, findings showed that utilitarian motivations not only are a predictor of online shopping motivations of cosmetics, but also that availability of information, assortment and economic value were the dimensions among motivations that better explained online purchase intention. This theoretical framework helps understanding consumer behavior towards online shopping and may be an important tool for managers and marketers to develop strategies with the most relevant motivations in mind.O objetivo desta tese é explorar os efeitos das motivações de compra online na intenção de compra online de cosméticos. O modelo conceptual apresentado ajuda a compreender quais as principais motivações que levam os consumidores a comprar cosméticos pela internet. Mais especificamente, o modelo conceptual sobre comportamento do consumidor deste estudo tem em consideração as motivações de compra online dos consumidores e a sua intenção de compra. Para compreender as motivações do consumidor e o seu grau de intenção de compra, estudos previamente desenvolvidos sobre o assunto foram adaptados e usados (Dodds et al., 1991; Arnold et al., 2003; Martínez-López et al., 2014) para o estudo que foi aplicado a consumidores portugueses. Um estudo quantitativo e exploratório foi conduzido. Durante a recolha de dados, um questionário online foi preenchido na totalidade por 286 indivíduos. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as motivações de compra online são uma ótima maneira de prever a intenção de compra online. Os resultados mostraram também que as motivações utilitárias são melhores a explicar as motivações de compra online e a intenção de compra online. A informação, a variedade e o valor económico foram as dimensões das motivações online que mais afetavam a intenção de compra online. Este modelo ajuda-nos a perceber o comportamento dos consumidores no que toca a compras online e pode ser uma importante ferramenta para gestores e marketers desenvolverem estratégias direcionadas para as motivações que mais influenciam a intenção de compra

Electronics and Computer Sales: Brick-and-Mortar Retail Strategies to Increase Revenue

The growth of online retailing threatens brick-and-mortar retail revenues. Brick-and-mortar retail leaders who fail to increase revenues risk insolvency. Grounded in the theory of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies electronics and computer brick-and-mortar retail leaders use to increase revenue in response to competition from online retailers. The participants comprised 6 electronics and computer brick-and-mortar electronics retail store leaders in San Diego, California, who effectively used strategies to increase revenues. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company information, financial data, and web site documentation. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data with 4 themes emerging: returning customers and trust, locality-based marketing, smart devices to shop around by customers, and maintaining stock and customization. A key recommendation is for brick-and-mortar retail leaders to develop website content that drives customer engagement and adopt an influencer strategy to build the brand and increase sales. The implications for positive social change include the potential for brick-and-mortar retail leaders to encourage customer trust, create new jobs, reduce unemployment, and develop new services and strategies to aid local community residents