Definition and psychometric validation of a measurement index common to website and store images

Abstract

To mesh together their channels and better handle their multichannel management, retailers must better evaluate and coordinate their various channels. They need more precise and more complete measurement instruments to compare the channels in terms of characteristics perceived by their customers. Using the procedure specific to formative variables, this research results in a particularly comprehensive measurement index that culls 10 channel image dimensions (offering, price, layout, accessibility, promotions, customer service, advice, reputation, institution, connections with other channels) from the 40 strictly identical items for the website and the stores. Various qualitative and quantitative surveys examine across several samples of customers of a major French multichannel retailer, including one sample of 1,478 respondents. This study delineates the scope of website and store images and defines reliable scales for evaluating each image dimension of the channels, including those totally missing from the literature. This measurement tool harnesses website and store characteristics that are very operational and easily actionable. This study demonstrates that a website can be described and analyzed along the same lines as a store, and shows the relevance of incorporating connections with other channels, particularly into the scope of website image.