Identifying patterns in channel usage across the search, purchase and post-sales stages of shopping

Consumers today are using various channels to complete their purchase process. As shoppers pursue different goals at each stage of the process, channel choice may be explained by different drivers for search, purchase and post-sales activities. Our research framework is based on an extension of the TAM Model with the support of the Motivational Model, differentiating two types of motivations for channel usage: intrinsic and extrinsic. Moreover, we rely on transaction costs economics to explain different channel usage at each shopping stages and for different product categories. Lineal regression and cluster analysis are applied to data collected through a survey answered by 1,533 multichannel retail shoppers within two product categories (apparel and consumer electronics) in two countries (UK and Spain). Our findings show that segments with different usage patterns and motivations can be identified across the shopping process and that the drivers of channel usage are different depending on the stage of the buying process and the product category considered

Multi-Channel Choice in Retail Banking Services: Exploring the Role of Service Characteristics

Companies are moving towards omni-channel management offering all products and services on all channels. Yet, some of these investments might be obsolete as certain products are associated with certain channels. At this point, service companies are still left behind as past research focused on product categories and it remains unclear if the results are transferrable to services. Our study addresses this gap by analyzing the influence of service characteristics on channel choice. We tested our research model by surveying 2,000 banking customers in Germany on their past channel choices for five financial services. The results show that complex services with a high value are rather purchased in a branch than the online channel. Thereby, demographics and behavior-related constructs are important control variables. The results improve the understanding of channel choice behavior in a multi-channel context for services and provide guidance for practitioners to right-channel IT investments

Explaining Consumers’ Intention to Use Omni-channel Shopping

Retail businesses are increasingly merging online and offline channels into integrated omni-channel services. However, without an in-depth understanding of why consumers oscillate between online and offline channels, the future of omni-channel retailing remains uncertain. This paper aims to promote a greater understanding of the demand and supply side factors that contribute to omni-channel use. We developed a research model drawing from UTAUT2 and the security, inconsistency, and service quality attributes of omni-channel contexts. We tested both the direct and moderated effects of the constructs on the intention to use omni-channel shopping services with a sample of 362 Chinese survey participants. The results show that besides UTAUT2 variables, perceived inconsistency, and perceived service quality show significant effects on consumers’ intention to use omni-channel services. Furthermore, our results show that age, gender, and online shopping frequency moderate the relationship between perceived service quality and use intention

The Interaction of Display Advertisement and E-Wom on Omnichannel Purchase Intention Using Sem: an Age Moderation Effect

Purpose: This study looks at how display advertisements affect customers' Omni-buy intentions and the impact of e-WOM in determining if this influence is reflected in their purchase intentions.   Theoretical framework: Consumers' daily lives have grown more reliant on display advertising. Consumers depend on the Internet as a source of readily accessible information regarding advertising and businesses. Consequently, a customer becomes linked and an omnichannel shopper, intending to purchase products both online and offline. Electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) has also emerged as a powerful force that must be understood in the context of the omnichannel buyer.   Design/methodology/approach: A survey was performed to confirm the study's assumptions. Consumers who purchase fashion products omnichannel were polled for information. A questionnaire of 28 questions was developed for the study. The questionnaire includes questions about the respondent's age, gender, and educational level.   Findings: The results of the study show that there is a link between display advertising, e-WOM, and Omni-Online Purchase Intention. Several suggestions are produced to assist managers in navigating their brand's online presence in a manner that fits their customers' Omni-purchase intention.   Research, Practical & Social Implication: Through this investigation, the prevalence of many display ads on consumer purchase intention on the omnichannel market is determined, which contributes to the literature on advertising efficiency.   Originality/value: This study would most likely propose a method for market communication to determine how different types of display advertisements influence consumer purchase intentions, allowing firms to better manage the customer experience

La elección del canal de queja en el contexto minorista omnicanal

La distribución omnicanal es la estrategia que están adoptando las empresas minoristas, lo que significa la proliferación de canales y puntos de contacto a disposición de los consumidores para interactuar con las empresas durante el proceso de compra. Las redes sociales, en particular, han emergido con fuerza como un canal que el consumidor puede utilizar en la etapa post-compra para plantear quejas y reclamaciones. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la elección del canal de queja en función del canal de compra, y de la satisfacción y el compromiso del cliente con el minorista. Con datos de 702 compradores de un panel online, obtenemos que el efecto de lock-in o retención del canal es fuerte, que la satisfacción afecta negativamente la elección de las redes sociales como canal de queja, pero el compromiso ejerce una influencia negativa sobre la probabilidad de comprar offline pero positiva en el uso de las redes sociales como canal de queja.Retail companies are moving to omnichannel distribution, characterized by the proliferation of channels and touchpoints that consumers can use to interact with firms during the shopping process. Social media in particular have emerged as a powerful channel that consumers can use in the post-sales stage to complain. The objective of this paper is to analyse the choice of complaint channel as a function of the purchase channel and customer satisfaction and commitment. With data from 702 shoppers from an online panel, our results show that channel lock-in effect is strong, that satisfaction affects negatively the choice of social media as a channel to complain, but commitment exerts a negative influence on the likelihood to purchase offline but a positive one on social media as a complaint channel

Distintos canales para distintos servicios: fuentes de información en servicios de búsqueda, experiencia y creencia

Este trabajo compara los canales de información utilizados por los consumidores de servicios de búsqueda, experiencia y creencia con el fin de ayudar a los proveedores de servicios a diseñar su estrategia omnicanal. Se derivan las diferencias en el proceso de búsqueda de información entre los tres tipos de servicio y, tras recoger datos de una muestra de 492 consumidores de 9 servicios diferentes (tres de cada tipo) mediante un panel online, se contrastan las hipótesis mediante modelos de regresión mixtos. Los resultados permiten concluir cómo en los procesos de compra de servicios de búsqueda, la amplitud de las búsqueda es menor que en servicios de experiencia y creencia. En servicios de experiencia, la profundidad de la búsqueda de información es la mayor de todas. En los servicios de creencia, principalmente se acude a fuentes de información personales y offline.This paper compares the information channels used by consumers of search, experience and credence services in order to help service providers in the design their overall omni-channel strategy.We present the expected differences in the information search process between the three types of service and, after collecting data from a sample of 492 consumers of 9 different services (three of each type) through an online panel, we check the hypotheses with six mixed regression models.The results allow us to conclude that in the processes of purchase of search services, there is lower the breadth of the search than in services of experience and credence. In experience services, the depth of information search is the greatest of all. In the credence services, sources of personal and offline information are the most used

A systematic review of consumer information search in online and offline environments

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify major themes and potential research opportunities in online and offline consumer search. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review was conducted based on 118 articles identified from prevalent journal databases. Keywords frequency analysis was carried out to identify the major themes. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out to verify the generated themes. Findings – Results show that uncertainty, knowledge, perceived risk, price, experience and involvement are the major themes associated with consumer information search. Uncertainty, one of the major themes of offline search, has not been studied in the online search context. Similarly, the previous experience needs to be explored in the context of the offline search. Finally, potential research opportunities for future research has been summarized based on the retrieved themes. Research limitations/implications – The systematic review provides an in-depth understanding on the current research on information search literature with future research directions. Practical implications – This study helps retailers to understand the key elements that motivate consumers to perform external information searches from online and offline sources and to curate targeted information provision strategies to influence purchase decisions. Social implications – Consumers with limited internet availability may access channels prior to decisionmaking. The themes identified in this study can aid policymakers to design affordable access to these channels. Originality/value – This study adds to the sparse literature on systematic reviews on consumer search for online and offline channels

Choosing the delivery and return method in purchases: the effect of situational factors in omni-channel contexts

Even though retailers have engaged in many efforts to offer and integrate new alternatives for delivering and returning consumers’ purchases, it is not clear what motivates consumers to choose one option or another. Although most consumers are already familiar with options such as home delivery or pick-up locations, situational factors determine their choice among the different alternatives; no study has, however, addressed this topic before. To fill this gap, this study identifies 15 different situational factors to examine their influence on the selection of delivery and return options and the effect of consumers’ demographic characteristics. The empirical analysis is based on an online questionnaire distributed to 650 respondents (266 valid responses). In addition, this study uses MANOVA and ANOVA to determine the relationship between each situational factor and consumer characteristics. The results show that 13 situational factors have a significant impact on consumer decisions, and among them time pressure, the distance to the store and channel spill-over are the most influential factors. The results also show that situational factors significantly rely on individual characteristics. For instance, getting help from an employee is significantly more important for consumers who are under 25 years of age. The study reveals some valuable implications for retailer

Identifying consumer’s last-mile logistics beliefs in omni-channel environment

Over the past few years, retailers have offered new alternatives in last-mile logistics for consumers’ purchases; however, still, it is unclear why consumers select one option over another. A significant number of studies have tried to give some guidance, but very little research has considered the consumer’s point of view; specifically, in Omni-channel environment it has been undiscovered. To fulfil this gap, this study tends to identify some beliefs that may affect consumers’ behaviour in last-mile logistics. However, to validate these beliefs this study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) approach. Following the TPB, this study employs an online questionnaire to obtain 280 samples of Spanish students. The final results show that although some beliefs such as convenience, risk of time, and finances are consistent with previous studies, there are new salient beliefs in which have not been identified before: Accessibility & Comparability. As a conclusion, this study not only is an effective mechanism for predicting the intention of selecting a last-mile logistics by consumers, but also can be guidance and assistance for practitioners to develop proper strategies for facilitating consumer’s shopping journey, and ultimately, improving consumer’s satisfaction