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Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 54560

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Marta Frasquet

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Guest Editor

Department of Marketing, University of Valencia, Valencia 46003, Spain
Interests: multi-omnichannel retailing; shopper behaviour; e-commerce; B2B channels

Prof. Dr. Alejandro Mollá

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Marketing, University of Valencia, Valencia 46003, Spain
Interests: multi-omnichannel retailing; shopper behaviour; e-commerce; B2B channels

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Digital technologies have broken into all social and business activities. The retail sector in particular has undergone an unprecedented disruption. To remain competitive and relevant to their customers, retailers with physical stores have launched online sales channels, thus becoming multichannel retailers. Today, leading retail firms are transitioning from multichannel to omnichannel distribution by adding new channels and touchpoints to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience.

Although this topic has attracted researchers for several years, the more recent challenges of the omnichannel context require further investigation. With the myriad of channels and touchpoints, customers’ shopping patterns are increasingly complex and challenge retailers to re-design their channels and re-allocate their marketing efforts.

This special issue aims to advance our knowledge in the retailing field associated with multi- and omnichannel shopping behaviors and retailer strategies. The topics for the Special Issue include but are not restricted to:

Retail channel integration;
E-logistics challenges for multichannel retailers;
Sustainability issues associated with multi- and omnichannel retailing;
Shopper behaviour across channels;
Omnichannel customer journey;
Webrooming and showrooming;
Mobile channels;
Smartphone usage in-store;
New technologies in retailing;
The role of physical stores in the digital era;
COVID-19 impact on retailers’ digital advancements.

Prof. Marta Frasquet
Prof. Alejandro Mollá
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

multichannel
omnichannel
e-logistics
mobile shopping
webrooming
showrooming
cross-channel shopping

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Channel Integration Affect Consumers’ Selection of Omni-Channel Shopping Methods? An Empirical Study of U.S. Consumers

by Yini Chen and Ting Chi

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8983; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168983 - 11 Aug 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8535

Abstract

In recent years, fashion brands and retailers have been advancing rapidly to provide U.S. consumers more seamless omni-channel shopping experiences. The pandemic has further accelerated the growth of omni-channel shopping. This study aimed to explore the effects of channel integration in six aspects (i.e., promotion, product and price, transaction information, information access, order fulfillment, and customer service) on the U.S. consumers’ intentions to use three omni-channel shopping methods: buy online pick-up in-store (BOPI), buy online curbside pickup (BOCP), and buy in-store home delivery (BIHD). We proposed a mediation model to test the effects through consumer perceived values (hedonic value, utilitarian value), perceived risk, and perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, this study explored the moderating effect of perceived COVID-19 vulnerability on the relationships between consumers’ internal evaluations of channel integration and their shopping method selection intentions. A total of 516 eligible responses were gathered through a survey of U.S. consumers. Multiple regressions were applied to test the hypotheses. Six types of channel integration showed significant effects on the U.S. consumers’ internal evaluations, which in turn influence their intentions to use certain types of omni-channel shopping methods. Overall, the proposed model exhibits a satisfactory explanatory power. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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16 pages, 912 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Value Co-Creation on Virtual Community Brand Equity for Unichannel vs. Multichannel Users

by Natalia Rubio, Nieves Villaseñor and Mª Jesús Yagüe

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8403; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158403 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3160

Abstract

Value co-creation by users in a virtual community is a key element to encouraging the community’s brand equity. This study analyzes the effect of the functional value provided by the virtual community on the two value-co-creation behaviors that occur within it: (1) self-value co-creation and (2) communal value co-creation. Through self-value co-creation, participants co-create value to their own benefit by becoming involved in co-designing their experience. By communal value co-creation, participants co-create value through evaluations, recommendations, and ideas that benefit others. This study also asks whether multichannelity—using various channels to access the virtual community (website and mobile app), as opposed to using a single channel (website or mobile app)—has a moderating effect on the relationships proposed between value co-creation and brand equity of the virtual community. The analysis is contrasted empirically for the virtual community Tripadvisor with data collected by a research institute via telephone interview. Confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group structural equation modeling techniques were used to assess the proposed model. The study enriches two significant lines of scholarly research, value co-creation and brand equity. It does so in multi-brand virtual contexts in which variety of service brands coexists with the brand of the virtual community, and with users who access the virtual community through one or various channels. The study also contributes to the formulation of business strategies oriented to increasing the brand equity of virtual communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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17 pages, 638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Mobile Showrooming Based on a Technology Acceptance and Use Model

by Luis-Edwin Chimborazo-Azogue, Marta Frasquet, Alejandro Molla-Descals and Maria-Jose Miquel-Romero

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7288; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137288 - 29 Jun 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3437

Abstract

Showrooming is an increasingly popular behaviour in the omnichannel era. The purpose of this paper is to understand the consumer intention to showroom through a technology acceptance and use model based on UTAUT2 that includes value consciousness and purchase involvement as drivers of showrooming intention and mobile dependency as a moderator. Data collected via a survey answered by 659 showroomers were analysed using Partial Least Squares (PLS). Results show that value consciousness, purchase involvement, hedonic motivation and social influence explain mobile showrooming intention and mobile dependency moderates the impact of value consciousness on mobile showrooming intention. Our results offer suggestions for multichannel retailers to deal with showroomers visiting their stores to try to turn them into buyers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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29 pages, 734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Mobile Commerce Applications’ Antecedents of Customer Satisfaction among Millennials: An Extended TAM Perspective

by Atandile Ngubelanga and Rodney Duffett

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5973; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115973 - 26 May 2021

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 9241

Abstract

The continued growth for both smartphone usage and mobile applications (apps) innovations has resulted in businesses realizing the potential of this growth in usage. Hence, the study investigates the antecedents of customer satisfaction due the usage of mobile commerce (m-commerce) applications (MCA) by Millennial consumers in South Africa. The conceptual model antecedents were derived from the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The research made use of self-administered questionnaires to take a cross section of Millennial MCA users in South Africa. The sample comprised of nearly 5500 respondents and the data was analyzed via structural equation and generalized linear modeling. The results revealed that trust, social influence, and innovativeness positively influenced perceived usefulness; perceived enjoyment, mobility, and involvement positively influenced perceived ease of use; and perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were positive antecedents of customer satisfaction. Several usage and demographic characteristics were also found to have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. It is important for businesses to improve customer experience and satisfaction via MCA to facilitate a positive satisfaction and social influence among young technologically savvy consumers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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17 pages, 3566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Omni-Channel Intensity and Shopping Value as Key Drivers of Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

by Mitxel Cotarelo, Teresa Fayos, Haydeé Calderón and Alejandro Mollá

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5961; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115961 - 25 May 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6971

Abstract

Omni-channel retailing consists of the complete alignment of the different channels and touchpoints that generate a seamless experience for consumers, allowing them to move freely through all channels. The consumer’s perception of a seamless and consistent omni-channel experience is called intensity. This study reveals that this intensity in the shopping experience can offer value to consumers, and that intensity and shopping value also influence satisfaction and loyalty. We propose a relationship model that had been tested in a quantitative study with PLS, with a representative sample of buyers who had used the Click and Collect system. The main contribution of this study is to the literature on the analysis of omni-channels from the consumer experience perspective, through an in-depth analysis of the concepts of intensity and shopping value, as well as their relationship with satisfaction and loyalty. The results revealed the existence of a positive relationship between intensity and shopping value, and between these two variables and satisfaction and loyalty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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16 pages, 626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revitalization of Offline Fashion Stores: Exploring Strategies to Improve the Smart Retailing Experience by Applying Mobile Technology

by Yunjeong Kim

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3434; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063434 - 19 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3662

Abstract

With the reduction in offline fashion stores, retailers are trying to revitalize offline stores by applying smart retail technologies. This study aimed to determine how factors related to the offline–mobile connected smart retailing experience affected satisfaction through perceived quality and perceived risk. An online survey was conducted on female consumers in their 20s and 30s, and 302 questionnaires were distributed. The analysis, which utilized a structural equation model, confirmed that, from among five smart retailing experience-related factors, perceived advantage, perceived enjoyment, and interactivity affected perceived quality and that perceived advantage and interactivity significantly affected perceived risk. However, perceived control and personalization did not affect perceived quality and perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived quality significantly affected overall satisfaction, offline satisfaction, and mobile satisfaction, while perceived risk did not affect mobile satisfaction. This study confirmed that the perceived advantage and interactivity of smart retailing experiences play an important role in enhancing customer satisfaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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24 pages, 1300 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Omnichannel Customer Experience and Management: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda

by Carmen Gerea, Fernanda Gonzalez-Lopez and Valeria Herskovic

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2824; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052824 - 5 Mar 2021

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 17499

Abstract

In a highly competitive landscape, adopting an omnichannel approach might lead to a market advantage in terms of acquiring and retaining customers, as well as a means to ensure business sustainability. Omnichannel organizations situate the customer at the core of their interaction. However, research on omnichannel customer experience (CX) is still fragmented. In this paper, by adopting an integrative approach, we aim to articulate the empirical evidence around omnichannel CX and its management. Moreover, we show how research around omnichannel CX emerged from different theoretical perspectives and disciplines such as marketing, sociology and computer science. Towards this goal, we conducted a systematic literature review—with in depth analysis of 50 papers—and identified that omnichannel CX literature has engaged a number of research streams from various theoretical perspectives. Based on the research gaps, we propose an agenda for future research including topics such as (1) understanding the customer lifecycle in an omnichannel context; (2) integrating new touchpoints and channels; (3) predicting the omnichannel customer behavior; and (4) approaching omnichannel CX in service-based organizations. We conclude that adopting an omnichannel CX management approach requires the entire organization to be customer-centric while articulating interdisciplinary teams. Available studies on omnichannel CX provide the foundations for extending the knowledge on this topic and developing tools for practitioners to use in the omnichannel management assessment, operationalization, and measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multichannel and Omnichannel Retailing: Latest Advancements and Further Challenges)

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