Investigating consumers' path to showrooming: a perceived value-based perspective

Abstract

PurposeGrounded on the concept of a value trade-off, the authors of this study seek to address the question of why some people visit an offline store before purchasing online. The authors offer a novel perspective by identifying and describing the perceived value drivers (benefits and sacrifices) associated with showrooming in the context of the branded apparel segment.Design/methodology/approachData collected from 318 showrooming customers were analysed in the context of the proposed perceived value framework using the structural equation modelling method.FindingsThe results showed that enhanced product evaluation, monetary savings, smart shopper feelings and perceived enjoyment (positively) and search costs and online risk (negatively) influenced consumers' showrooming value perceptions as benefits and sacrifices associated with showrooming. Only perceived consumption delay emerged as insignificant. As expected, perceived showrooming value was identified as an important driver of showrooming intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe application of this paper's findings is limited to the branded apparel segment. The model can be tested in other sectors with a larger sample size to gain deeper insights.Practical implicationsThe findings can be utilized by brick-and-mortar retailers to retain showrooming customers.Originality/valueThe authors of the current research work contribute to a better understanding of showrooming by adopting a perceived-value-based perspective, which offers an alternative yet effective route for understanding showrooming.