Cross-channel Behavior Research Articles

Does cross-channel consistency always create brand loyalty in omni-channel retailing?

PurposeResearch to date has yet to reach a consensus regarding the role of cross-channel consistency in omni-channel retailing. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the impact of cross-channel consistency on brand trust and loyalty by differentiating four dimensions of consistency (i.e. product, service, price and promotion consistency) and exploring the moderating roles of showrooming and webrooming motivation in these relationships.Design/methodology/approachA survey method is used to collect data. A total of 550 valid responses were obtained from multi-channel apparel brands' customers. Hypotheses were tested by employing structural equation modeling and hierarchical multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that product and service consistency positively influence brand loyalty via brand trust, whereas price and promotion consistency do not. Furthermore, showrooming motivation negatively moderates the effects of service, price and promotion consistency on brand trust, while webrooming motivation positively moderates the effects of product, price and promotion consistency on brand trust.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the omni-channel retailing literature by examining the effects of different dimensions of cross-channel consistency and the moderating roles of showrooming and webrooming motivation to unravel the contradictions of previous studies. It reveals both the beneficial and dark sides of cross-channel consistency. It also extends the knowledge of brand building and cross-channel behavior in omni-channel retailing.

Hybrid Segmentation of Omnichannel Grocery Customers in Cross-Channel Behaviour Context

This study formulates the segmentation of grocery customers in the context of omnichannel, by using shopping motives as the main segmentation variables as they play an important role in generating cross-channel behavior. Additionally, the hybrid segmentation is also formulated using sociodemographic characteristics, search phase, and purchase phase as the behavioral variables. Analysis methods used in this quantitative research are cluster analysis, cross-tabulation, and multiple discriminant analysis to process the research data collected from 280 respondents via an online questionnaire. The sample is taken using a purposive sampling technique, with two criteria: customers who have made cross-channel purchases at grocery retailers and are decision-makers in shopping for household needs. The result generates three omnichannel grocery customer segments: the Risk Avoider who display cross-channel behavior due to their motives to avoid perceived risk when shopping online, the Pleasure Seeker who are driven by the motive to satisfy their pleasure through the shopping activity itself in displaying cross-channel behavior, and the Efficiency Suitor who display cross-channel behavior due to more rational shopping motives. For industry players, this research is expected to provide insight into the characteristics of each customer segment in terms of motivation, information seeking, and purchasing behavior as a guide in implementing relevant strategies for each segment. While for the academic aspect, this study contributes new information in the area of customer behavior in omnichannel marketing. It is very difficult to find specific investigations of omnichannel grocery retailers’ customer behavior based on shopping motives, sociodemographic characteristics, search phase, and purchase phase, therefore this study offers a novelty by generating the customer psychographic and behavioral profile of omnichannel grocery that have not been found in previous studies, especially in Indonesia as a representative of developing countries. Keywords: omnichannel, segmentation, cross-channel behavior, grocery, shopping motives. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.30

Cross-Channel Behavior in Indonesia: Are Omnichannel Shoppers More Loyal than Multichannel Shoppers?

The retail industry in Indonesia is still in the transition phase from multichannel to omnichannel. Hence, the behavior of shoppers is divided into two broad categories, namely multichannel and omnichannel shoppers. The research aimed to know the socio-demographic characteristics of multichannel and omnichannel shoppers in Indonesia. It also tested the difference between both in showing cross-channel behavior and loyalty to the retailers. The data were obtained by questionnaires from 341 respondents with purposive sampling. The descriptive method with cross-tabulation analysis was applied to capture the socio-demographic characteristics of multichannel and omnichannel shoppers. Meanwhile, the comparative method with an independent sample t-test tested the difference between both types of shoppers in showing cross-channel behavior and loyalty to the retailers. The results show that millennial and female shoppers are the most potential segment at this time to be targeted in the context of omnichannel retailing. Both multichannel and omnichannel shoppers are dominated by those whose income is less than Rp4,5 million to Rp10 million with 3 to 5 persons in their household. Moreover, there are significant differences between multichannel and omnichannel shoppers in the context of cross-channel behavior and loyalty. Omnichannel shoppers show cross-channel behavior and loyalty more than multichannel shoppers.

The Effects of Information Continuity and Interpersonal Continuity on Physician Services Online: Cross-sectional Study.

BackgroundWeb-based medical services have become an effective supplement to traditional services in hospitals and an essential part of medical services. Studies have shown that web-based medical services are useful for shortening the delayed admission time and for enhancing the treatment effect from the service continuity perspective. However, the specific measures that patients and physicians should take to improve service continuity remain unknown.ObjectiveBased on the information richness theory and continuity of care, this study investigates the dynamic effects of information continuity and interpersonal continuity on physician services online.MethodsData of 7200 patients with 360 physicians covering complete interaction records were collected from a professional web-based platform in China. Content analysis was performed to recognize matching patients and physicians, and least square regression analysis was performed to obtain all empirical results.ResultsEmpirical results showed that in the short term, information continuity (including offline experience, medical records, and detailed information) influences physicians’ web-based services, and their influences show heterogeneity. Moreover, if a patient’s online physician is the same physician who he/she has visited offline, we find that interpersonal continuity is important for service. In the long term, information continuity and interpersonal continuity positively improve service continuity by facilitating repeat purchases.ConclusionsOverall, our findings not only shed new light on patient behavior online and cross-channel behavior but also provide practical insights into improving the continuity of care in online health communities.

Consumer cross-channel behaviour: is it always planned?

PurposeFor consumers, cross-channel behaviour is increasingly prevalent. Such behaviour involves consumers actively engaging in (and deriving benefit) from one channel during a product search but switching to another channel when making a purchase. Drawing on multi-attribute utility theory, this study proposes a cross-channel behaviour typology consisting of three key aspects: channel choice behaviour, functional and economic outcomes and consumer-specific psychographic and demographic variables.Design/methodology/approachSegmentation analysis conducted via latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on a sample of 400 US consumers collected via an online survey.FindingsCross-channel behaviour is not always intentional. We identify a specific segment of consumers that most often engage in unplanned, rather than intentional, cross-channel switching. We find that of all shoppers that engage in cross-channel behaviour, a fifth (20%) are forced to switch channels at the point of purchase.Practical implicationsCross-channel behaviour can be mitigated by retailers via a deep understanding of the driving factors of different configurations of showrooming and webrooming.Originality/valueIn contrast with existing conceptualisations, this study suggests that cross-channel behaviour often stems from consumers being “forced” by factors outside of their control, but within the retailers' control. This research presents a nuanced approach to decompose consumer cross-channel behaviour from the consumer perspective as planned, forced or opportunistic.

Webrooming: A Way of Dealing with Uncertainties in Purchasing

Purpose – This study aims to analyze ways in which uncertainty-related factors influence the intention of webrooming, a cross-channel buying behavior. The authors suggest that four factors (uncertainty avoidance, risk aversion, anticipated regret, and the need for touch) differ in their nature and, therefore, may exert different (direct or indirect) influence on the webrooming intention. Design/Methodology/Approach – The SEM analysis was applied to online survey data obtained in Lithuania. Findings and implications – The study confirms that uncertainty avoidance and risk aversion, as quite broadly conceptualized factors, have an indirect influence on the webrooming intention that is mediated by Internet mavenism. As anticipated regret is a more transaction-related factor, its influence on the webrooming intention is direct. Due to its specific nature, the need for touch has both direct and indirect influence on the webrooming intention. These findings contribute to filling the gaps in scientific knowledge in two ways. First, the study makes the first attempt to categorize uncertainty-linked antecedents in webrooming context and then assess the type of influence they exert. Second, it shows the direction and strength of the measured relations in the context of apparel product category. Additionally, it has managerial implications for retailing: cross-channel behavior in this category is largely triggered by uncertainty-related factors. Limitations – Webrooming intention was assessed only in one product category (apparel). Search results should be broadened to include other product categories. Moreover, the uncertainty-related factors of webrooming intention should be tested together with other types of factors that are important for this intention. Originality – The variety of factors used to investigate the influence on webrooming intention is quite broad. This study aims to acknowledge the influence of uncertainty-related factors on webrooming intention. Currently, scientific knowledge on this relationship is rather scarce.

Understanding consumers’ paths to webrooming: A complexity approach

Webrooming (practice whereby products are researched online before making an offline purchase) has been recognized as a prevalent form of cross-channel shopping behavior. Grounded in complexity and configuration theories, this study examines how different causal conditions determine webrooming intention. Required data was obtained from a purposive sample through paper surveys, and was analyzed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The findings reveal three configurations in which different combinations of product, consumer, and channel factors may interact in different ways to explain high webrooming intention. Notably, product involvement was identified as the core condition in all configuration paths. This study enriches the theoretical foundations of webrooming behavior, and the findings yielded are expected to assist retailers in developing better-targeted strategies in dealing with this increasingly prevalent cross-channel behavior.

Understanding the webrooming phenomenon

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a model encompassing antecedents of webrooming, an emerging shopping behaviour in omnichannel retailing. This study delineates the impacts of shopping motivation, perceived channel-related benefits and costs on webrooming intention.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey was conducted using a purposive sampling technique. A total of 300 responses were collected, and data were analysed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling.FindingsShopping motivation, such as efficiency shopping and bargain hunting, negatively influenced webrooming intention. Immediate possession positively influenced webrooming intention. With regard to perceived costs of webrooming, purchase effort and expected price loss negatively influenced webrooming intention. An additional exploratory analysis uncovered the moderating role of efficiency shopping.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence for the antecedents of webrooming intention and expands the understanding of this emerging yet largely unexplored cross-channel behaviour.

Comportamento do Consumidor em Canais Cruzados: Modelo de Mediação-Moderada nas Compras Online/Offline

Resumo As novas tecnologias móveis com acesso à internet têm propiciado o surgimento de um novo processo de compra dos consumidores. Esse processo influencia tanto as compras online quanto as offline (em lojas físicas), a depender do produto a ser adquirido. Teorias de aprendizagem comportamental, como as relações entre precorrentes e correntes, podem explicar esse novo repertório comportamental. O presente estudo testou a mediação do Comportamento em Canais Cruzados (CCC) na relação entre a adoção de dispositivos móveis com acesso à internet e a frequência de compra nos canais online e offline, moderada pelo tipo de bem (durável versus não durável). Com delineamento quase experimental, os dados foram analisados por Modelagem de Equação Estrutural. Os resultados demonstram que a adoção de tecnologias móveis com internet incentivou as dimensões do CCC (busca de informação simultânea, comparação de produtos e preços, e interação com o varejista/fabricante), com maior força para bens não duráveis, e que cada dimensão do CCC altera a frequência de compras online e offline, porém, o efeito específico depende do tipo do bem. A pesquisa analisa o processo de adoção de novas tecnologias geradoras destes novos comportamentos, e que os mesmos incentivam a frequência de compra.

Cross Channel Consumer Behavior and its Benefits: Scale Validation to Assess Purchasing Process Performance

Purpose – This paper developed and validated a scale of cross-channel behavior and its benefits capable of ascertaining the performance of the consumer buying process. Design/methodology/approach – The sample of 451 consumers filled out questionnaires for statistical validation purposes. Three first order reflective CCB constructs and four CCB benefits were tested with second and third order formative models Findings – The validation indicated that all constructs have convergent and discriminant validity. CCB is formed by simultaneous information searches, product/price comparisons, and interactions with the retailers/manufacturers, and the benefits are symbolic/ utilitarian and positive/negative. The coefficient between CCB and its benefits is considerable, with the avoidance of purchasing process problems being an expected result. Originality/value – The article highlights the conceptual construction of the cross channels consumer behavior construct as generating improvements in buying process performance. Marketing researchers can test the frequency of this new behavior in consumer relations.

Is paid search overrated? When bricks-and-mortar-only retailers should not use paid search

While bricks-and-mortar-only retailers do not offer online purchasing, they often take advantage of multi-channel management strategies to reach consumers in a pre-purchase phase. We investigate whether paid search can increase the sales of brick-and-mortar retailers who promote their offers via an informational website. Although a sizeable one third of all retailers still trade without an online-shop, previous work has been silent about the effects of paid search for them. We make use of a randomized field experiment and an end-to-end tracking mechanism to investigate the cross-channel behavior of individual consumers. Our empirical results suggest that, whilst paid search increases the number of potential customers through enhancing the reach of marketing initiatives, store sales are not increased. We conclude that customers who search online to buy offline primarily use paid search as a navigational shortcut to the retailer’s website. Consequently, bricks-and-mortar-only retailers seeking to increase store purchases should approach paid search with caution.

An exploration of the relationship between product selection criteria and engagement with 'show-rooming' and 'web-rooming' in the consumer's decision-making process

The contemporary consumer's decision-making processes have been affected by two independent factors. Firstly, the difficult economic climate heightened their level of price sensitivity and, secondly, the emergence of online shopping provided them with a better means of information searching. These two factors have combined to produce new behaviours in the shopping process, involving purchasing across channels through show-rooming (viewing in store and buying online) and web-rooming (viewing online and buying in store). Using a quantitative methodology, this paper tested consumers' motivation and propensity to engage in 'show-rooming' and 'web-rooming'. It investigated their reasons for acceptance or avoidance of virtual and physical channels to identify the factors that promote cross-channel behaviour. The results indicated that 'show-rooming' behaviour prevailed when efficient price and product comparisons could not be conducted in physical channels; and 'web-rooming' was used when the consumer could not predict garment dimensions online. This demonstrates the need for retailers to acquire a deeper understanding of the information consumers require within each selling interface, with an aim to minimise the potential of lost sales that result when consumers switch to more proactive competitor brands.

Positive and negative cross‐channel shopping behaviour

PurposePurchasing behaviour across traditional retail and internet routes to market is becoming increasingly integrated. The positive and negative consequences of such behaviour for multi‐channel businesses have not been thoroughly examined – while an offline retail presence may reassure customers purchasing from an online channel, poor service online may negatively influence customer usage of an offline channel. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey of the online customers of four companies is employed and structural equation modelling used to investigate influences of demographic and behavioural variables (purchase involvement, loyalty, experience with the internet, company and product‐type) on positive and negative cross‐channel behaviour (CCB).FindingsStrong evidence for both positive and negative customer CCB is found. Females, higher purchase involvement, higher loyalty and those with more experience of the company were more likely to display positive CCB; higher education, experience with the product type and online channel negatively influenced positive CCB. Increased age, education, occupation/class and purchase involvement lead to more negative CCB; product and company experience lead to reduced levels of negative CCB.Research limitations/implicationsAs a first step towards understanding of customer CCB the research generates many insights; however, more research is required to explore in more depth each of the constructs discussed and measured.Practical implicationsUnderstanding how different customer groups display different tendencies for CCB can help companies shape fulfilment and delivery strategies across different channels to market.Originality/valueThe study makes contributions to customer cross‐channel customer behaviour, developing implications for future research as well as management practice.