Cross-channel Integration Research Articles

Revolutionizing Retail: An Empirical Study on the Impact of Generative AI in Omnichannel Strategies

This article examines the transformative impact of Generative AI (Gen AI) on omnichannel retail, exploring its role in enhancing customer experiences and streamlining operations across digital and physical platforms. Through a comprehensive analysis of current literature, industry case studies, and empirical data, the study investigates six key applications of Gen AI in retail: personalization and dynamic content creation, virtual shopping assistants, inventory and fulfillment optimization, marketing content generation, customer insights and sentiment analysis, and immersive AR/VR experiences. The findings reveal that Gen AI significantly improves personalization, operational efficiency, and cross-channel integration in retail. However, the research also identifies challenges in implementation, including data privacy concerns and the need for seamless technology integration. This article contributes to the growing body of knowledge on AI in retail and provides practical insights for retailers seeking to leverage Gen AI in their omnichannel strategies. The paper concludes by discussing future research directions and the potential long-term implications of Gen AI on consumer behavior and global retail practices.

The impact of cross channel consistency and cross channel integration on customer satisfaction

The impact of cross channel consistency and cross channel integration on customer satisfaction

StreamBoostE: A Hybrid Boosting-Collaborative Filter Scheme for Adaptive User-Item Recommender for Streaming Services

With home entertainment, selecting the perfect movie is a pervasive challenge, amplified by many streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. This study advances a movie recommender system with collaborative filtering approach as implemented in Python titled StreamBoostE. We used the user-based and item-based similarity schemes on feature embedding to aid faster model construction and training for the tree-based gradient boosting ensemble. Employing both user- and item-based collaborative filtering with cosine similarity to ease feature embedding, the system assesses movies inter-relations via personalized user interest and preferences as submitted user titles with a focus on movie genre classification. Results shows the ensemble yields a recommender prediction accuracy of 0.9984 with F1 of 0.996. The major contribution of StreamBoostE is in its capability to expedite the movie selection process when integrated using flask API and streamlit for cross-channel integration in web-based platforms. It presents users with a list of top-10 recommended movies by genre similarity. The XGBoost ensemble performed best with the user-/item-based collaborative filtering scheme fused with feature embedding approach as a sampling method. Keywords: Random Forest, SMOTE, credit card fraud detection, feature selection, imbalanced dataset Aims Research Journal Reference Format: Atuduhor, R.R., Okpor, M.D., Yoro, R.E., Odiakaose, C.C., Emordi, F.U., Ojugo, A.A., Ako, R.E., Geteloma, V.O., Ejeh, P.O., Abere, R.A., Ifioko, A.M., & Brizimor, S.E. (2024): StreamBoostE: A Hybrid Boosting-Collaborative Filter Scheme for Adaptive User-Item Recommender for Streaming Services. Advances in Multidisciplinary and Scientific Research Journal Vol. 10. No. 2. Pp 89-106. www.isteams.net/aimsjournal. dx.doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/V10N2P8

Cross-Channel Integration and its Impact on Customers’ Behavioral Intentions: A Serial Mediation Model

Cross-Channel Integration and its Impact on Customers’ Behavioral Intentions: A Serial Mediation Model

An Analysis of Optimizing Engagement and Conversions in Pinterest Shopping Through Cross-Channel Integration Strategies

This paper examines the transformative journey of Pinterest from a visual discovery platform to a dynamic shopping hub, focusing on the period spanning 2017 to 2022 in the United States. The study investigates the role of technological innovations and cross-channel integration strategies in optimizing user engagement and conversions on the platform. Utilizing a comprehensive analysis, encompassing statistical trends, shifts in user behavior, and the impact of external factors, the research uncovers critical insights into the evolving e-commerce landscape within Pinterest. The findings underscore the paramount importance of strategic cross-channel integration for businesses aiming to thrive in this dynamic shopping ecosystem.

Cross-Channel Integration and Consumer Loyalty: Mediating Effect of Consumer Empowerment and Satisfaction

The field of marketing is constantly evolving, and consumers’ interactions with brands have changed considerably over time. Companies must therefore adapt by developing effective strategies to attract and retain customers. By adopting a cross-channel strategy, retailers can maintain a strong relationship with them. Our study is based on the stimulus-organism-response model, which conceptualizes how Cross-Channel Integration influences consumers’ feelings of empowerment and satisfaction, thus stimulating their loyalty behavior. A survey was conducted, and an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 255 consumers. The results suggest that Cross-Channel Integration promotes Consumer Loyalty. Consumers’ relationship with retailers is strengthened because they feel more empowered and satisfied with the product and/or service provided.

Gender and generational differences in omnichannel shopping travel decisions: What drives consumer choices to pick up in-store or ship direct?

Omnichannel distribution is a retail innovation that provides a seamless purchasing experience to customers through cohesive experience across channels, cross-channel integration, and integrated assistance. Blurring the lines between offline and online shopping, concepts like “Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store” (BOPIS) and “Buy-In-Store-Ship-Direct” (BSSD) are increasingly becoming accepted in retail operations. While many retailers are still in a nascent phase of integrating online channels and physical stores, consumer-centric studies are called for to investigate the diffusion of these new strategies in the evolving marketplace. Our study explores the key adoption determinants of these new omnichannel strategies, focusing on the case of India. A detailed online survey was used to collect data for a sample of 311 Indian consumers. Econometric analysis reveals the main purchase influencing factors. We find that a quick purchase process, elimination of product delivery delays, delivery and shipping costs, ease of receiving product, retail system reliability and, trust in retailer are key adoption determinants. Purchase returnability is only weakly associated with BOPIS purchase choices while payment security has no significant effect. Among six demographic variables, only gender and age are found to differ significantly between the two concepts. These insights from this study should be useful for retailers to design omnichannel strategies and for transport policy makers to predict the future growth of e-commerce related transport movements.

Effects of technology capability and marketing capability on manufacturing firms’ cross-channel integration capability: the moderating role of platform IT support

Effects of technology capability and marketing capability on manufacturing firms’ cross-channel integration capability: the moderating role of platform IT support

Green purchase intention in omnichannel retailing: role of environmental knowledge and price sensitivity

ABSTRACT This study explores how cross-channel integration influences consumers’ green purchase intention, specifically through psychological ownership, consumer skepticism, environmental knowledge, and price sensitivity. We collected data from Indian consumers, using an online questionnaire survey method. The data was collected from consumers using an online survey. The data were analyzed using mediation and moderated mediation models. Findings suggest that an increase in cross-channel integration does enhance consumers’ green purchase intention and that there is a significant mediating role of both consumer skepticism and psychological ownership. The results show that while environmental knowledge positively moderates the mediating path via psychological ownership at all levels (i.e. from low to high), it does not moderate the mediating path via consumer skepticism. Moreover, price sensitivity negatively moderates the mediating path via psychological ownership at all levels from low to high, while price sensitivity positively moderates the mediating path via consumer skepticism at all levels from low to high.

Spatial shopping behavior during the Corona pandemic: insights from a micro-econometric store choice model for consumer electronics and furniture retailing in Germany

During the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce’s market share has increased dramatically, a phenomenon attributable to not only lockdowns but to voluntary changes in shopping behavior as well. The current study examines the main determinants driving shopping behavior in the context of both physical and online store availability, and investigates whether specific drivers have changed during the pandemic. The study aims to test whether fear of infection and mandatory wearing of face masks in shops have influenced consumer channel choice. The empirical analysis focuses on two product types (consumer electronics, furniture), with empirical data collected via a representative consumer survey in three German regions. The statistical analysis was performed using a hurdle model approach and the findings are compared to those of a study related to pre-pandemic shopping. The results show that the determinants of shopping behavior have largely not changed. Channel choice can be explained by shopping attitudes, age, and partially, by place of residence of consumers. Store choice is determined primarily by shopping transaction costs and store features. Fear of infection and the mandatory wearing of face masks exhibit minimal influence on channel choice, if any. The importance of cross-channel integration of stores/chains has decreased significantly, while average travel times for in-store purchases have declined.

Advancing the marketing‐operations interface in omnichannel retail

Advancing the marketing‐operations interface in omnichannel retail

Can in-store recommendations for online-substitutive products integrate online and offline channels?

An increasing number of multichannel retailers have adopted an offline-to-online recommendation strategy (OORS) that provides information regarding products sold online to in-store shoppers via recommendation systems employing in-store technologies (e.g., in-store virtual shelves and smart fitting mirrors). We investigate the impact of an OORS on cross-channel integration for retailers mainly selling substitutable products via online and offline channels. Considering omnichannel shoppers (who strategically choose a channel for purchasing) and offline shoppers (who prefer to shop in store), pricing game models with and without an OORS are developed for a decentralized retailer operating offline and online channels as separate businesses. The results show that although an OORS enables the offline channel to cannibalize more omnichannel shoppers from the online channel, interestingly, it alleviates channel conflict, which is reflected in increased prices and shopping traffic in both online and offline channels, because an OORS drives more in-store customers who cannot find matched products to the online store than omnichannel shoppers who shift from online to offline. Thus, an OORS increases online and offline profits and creates a synergic effect for a retailer with a decentralized organization. Compared to multichannel centralization, an OORS can even generate a higher synergic effect, especially when the proportion of offline shoppers in the mixed market is high. Finally, an OORS always improves social welfare, but its impacts on consumer surplus vary. An OORS can be beneficial for customers in a centralized organization but detrimental in a decentralized organization.

Cross-Channel Integration and Customer Experience in Omnichannel Retail Services

Despite the increasing attention being given to cross-channel integration services, an understanding of the impact of cross-channel integration on customer experience is still lacking. This study fills this gap. With a focus on retail brand experience, this study demonstrates that cross-channel integration impacts customer experience and further results in changes in perception and behavioral intention. A conceptual model that illustrates the customers’ psychological mechanism responding to cross-channel integration was developed. To test the model, a scenario-based online experiment was conducted. The results show that perceived channel integration impacts retail brand experience, which in turn impacts perceived service convenience, satisfaction, and patronage intention. Creating a better experience is a key challenge for retailers to ensure customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Our results show that cross-channel integration services can play a pivotal role in the shaping of retail brand experience in today’s competitive retail environment that continuously evolves, owing to digital technology. The findings of this study add valuable new knowledge to the growing omnichannel retailing literature and provide practical insights to develop omnichannel retail services. Funding: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2017S1A5A8022718).

Research on the Impact of the Strength of Channel Conflict on Cross-Channel Integration: The Mediating Effect of Channel Fluency and Stability.

Based on event system theory, we explore the effect of the strength of channel conflict on cross-channel integration from the perspective of manufacturers, and then analyzes the mediating effect of channel fluency and channel stability. Taking manufactures who implement cross-channel integration as research samples, and basing the data collected from 229 respondents, the study uses multiple regression analysis and Bootstrap method to test the research hypotheses. The empirical research findings show that: the strength of channel conflict plays a negative role on channel fluency and channel stability; the strength of channel conflict has a double-edged sword effect on cross-channel integration: it can reduce cross-channel integration by destroying channel fluency, and at the same time can improve cross-channel integration by destroying and reducing channel stability.

A configurational analysis of cross-channel integration

PurposeCross-channel integration improves the operations of multi-channel and omnichannel marketing and increase firms' overall performance. By addressing the extant gaps in current literature, this configurational analysis aims to test the combined effects of organizational, channel and environmental factors on cross-channel integration.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a sample of 180 manufacturers. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) was used to test whether two organizational factors (firm size and IT capability), one environmental factor (environmental dynamism) and two channel factors (channel diversity and proportion of direct channels) were necessary or unnecessary conditions for high cross-channel integration. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was applied to analyze the configurational factors of high vs low cross-channel integration.FindingsFirst, firm size and IT capability are non-linear and substitute for each other in affecting cross-channel integration in a diversified channel system with a high proportion of direct channels. Second, in a dynamic environment, firms with large size and IT advantage could achieve high cross-channel integration by diversifying channel types or increasing the proportion of direct channels. Third, the effect of channel diversity and proportion of direct channels on cross-channel integration is asymmetric depending on other antecedent conditions.Originality/valueThe authors tested a configurational framework developed from multiple theoretical perspectives. The authors' empirical findings contribute to the literature by providing insights into the mechanisms underlying the formation of high and low cross-channel integration. The results suggest multiple ways for firms to promote cross-channel integration by adjusting channel factors based on configurational conditions.

Influence of IT support on firms' cross-channel integration: the moderating role of institutional environment

PurposeUsing dynamic capability theory, this study investigates how information technology (IT) support affects firms' online and offline cross-channel integration (CCI). In addition, it applies institutional theory to examine how the relationships between IT support and CCI are moderated by firms' institutional environments.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 308 firms in China that conduct business in online and offline channels was empirically tested through hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe results showed two types of IT support facilitated CCI: IT support for strategy and IT support for process. The relationship between IT support for process and CCI was stronger than that between IT support for strategy and CCI. The results further indicated institutional environment (i.e. dysfunctional competition and government support) played differing roles in these effects, such that the relationship between IT support for strategy and CCI was significantly weakened by dysfunctional competition yet enhanced by government support. However, neither dysfunctional competition nor government support had a significant moderating role in the relationship between IT support for process and CCI.Originality/valueThis study identifies different IT support types as antecedents of CCI. It is also one of the earliest attempts to explore the influence of institutional environment on the relationship between IT support and CCI.

Cross Channel Integration Dalam Meningkatkan Retensi Pelanggan Pada Industri Ritel

In today's challenge, retailers are starting to use an omnichannel strategy that utilizes Cross-Channel Integration (CCI) to coordinate various retail channels and retain customers. CCI is designed to improve customer access and interaction with online and offline channels during the shopping process. This strategy is done to improve customer experience and increase Customers Retention (CR) which is the core goal of CCI. This research is a causal- comparative study to find out whether there is an influence between Cross Channel Integration on Customer Retention. The survey was conducted on 83 consumers who have used online and offline retail channels such as IKEA and Ace Hardware. By distributing questionnaires online, it was found that CCI had a positive effect on CR. This proves that the omnichannel retail strategy by utilizing CCI is one of the goals in increasing retail consumer retention in shopping

Cross-channel effects of omnichannel retail marketing strategies: A review of extant data-driven research

The authors review 50 empirical retailing research papers that have appeared over the last 20 years to take stock of what we know, need to know better, and do not know yet about within-retailer cross-channel effects of omnichannel retail marketing strategies on (a) consumer responses over their purchase journeys, i.e., online and/or offline search, purchase intention, frequency, amount, returns, loyalty, and (b) the retail firm's aggregate outcomes (e.g., sales, costs, profits, product returns) by channel and overall. Specifically, the authors focus on five strategies: (1) the addition of online channel by an offline retailer; (2) the addition (or subtraction) of offline channels by an online retailer; (3) addition of mobile shopping channel (website and/or app) by offline and/or online retailer; (4) cross-channel integration strategies; and (5) retail marketing mix strategies. The author/s integrate findings from empirical research on these strategies into a number of ‘insights’ about ‘what we know’. Prominent among these are the following: Adding a transactional online channel to an offline channel improves the retailer's overall sales even though offline channel sales can be cannibalized to some degree. Adding an offline channel by an online retailer, however, boosts online channel sales as well as overall sales of the retailer. Similarly, adding a mobile shopping channel usually increases customer purchase frequency and amount and overall sales of the retailer in the long-term. Strategies for greater cross-channel integration generally have a positive effect on a retailer's overall performance while online advertising has positive effects on offline channel consideration and sales as well as overall sales of a multichannel retailer. Other insights or findings that need further study or open questions are also identified. The paper closes with managerial implications of the derived empirical insights, and suggestions for future research.

A Qualitative Study on Innovation and Dimensional Aspects of the Omnichannel Retail Business Model

The purpose of the study is to elucidate linkage of Omnichannel retail business model with innovation and technological advancements. The study is exploratory and qualitative in nature, based on primary and secondary data sources collected from varied retail sectors such as fashion, furniture, eyecare and electronics . The study has used Business Model Canvass (BMC) as a tool for strategic analysis. The study presents findings about business model and strategies in Omnichannel context from Indian retailers. The findings of the study posits four main dimensions resultant of digitalization and technological advancements in Omnichannel retail, namely Omnichannel Intensity, Organizational Structure Integration, Operations and Supply Chain Management Innovation, Data Analytics and Intelligence. Cross-channel Integration and Data Analytics & Intelligence have been found to be contributing enormously towards the strategic growth of Omnichannel retailers, thus emerging as the prominent managerial implications of the study.

Consumer retention through phygital experience in omnichannel retailing: role of consumer empowerment and satisfaction

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanism through which cross-channel integration (i.e., both physical and digital) influences consumer retention. The study uses the stimulus-organism-response model framework, which conceptualizes how cross-channel integration influences consumers’ feelings of empowerment and satisfaction that stimulate their retention behavior. The study also explores the impact of a retailer’s unreliability on a consumer’s phygital experience in retailing. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey (n = 427) and analyzed using SPSS AMOS 25 and PROCESS Macros. The findings suggest that cross-channel integration helps in consumer retention. Consumers’ relationship with the retailer gets strengthened because consumers feel empowered and satisfied with the product/service being rendered. Importantly, this study is possibly among the first to explore how channel integration in retailing can impact the consumers’ phygital experience, and in the process, influence their long-term association with retailers.