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PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to create a well-integrated and unified customer experience anytime, anywhere, through any channel is the leading objective of omnichannel retailers. Scholars advocate the crucial role of channel integration quality (CIQ)–specifically its components of channel-service configuration and integrated interactions–in formulating the customer experience, which in turn determines their patronage intention. However, a dearth of research exists on the dynamic nature of this particular mechanism. The potential mediating and moderating effects of customer empowerment and Internet usage have hardly been considered at all in the context of omnichannel retailing. These research gaps will be addressed in this study.Design/methodology/approachBased on a data set of 312 omnichannel customers, the partial least square–structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe results reveal the dynamic mechanism in which channel-service configuration and integrated interactions are the key factors that not only directly enable omnichannel retailers to deliver customers with a seamless shopping experience but also empower customers to shape their own consumption experiences. The findings also demonstrate the contingency role of consumers' Internet usage in such a dynamic mechanism. Finally, the notion that a strong customer experience increases their intention for patronage is supported by the empirical evidence.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by quantitatively examining the moderated mediating mechanism of forming customer experience and its subsequent patronage behaviour in the context of omnichannel retailers.

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Influence strategies (ISs) are a dominant topic in channel research. However, the literature lacks a consensus on when noncoercive and coercive strategies are more valuable or damaging to partnership quality, and their judicious applications remain unclear. Mainly based on social exchange perspectives, we review and conceptualize several contingency factors in the IS-partnership quality relationships in this metaanalysis. The moderating results generally suggest that the stronger positive impacts of noncoercive ISs result from a higher appreciation for supportive attempts, whereas the higher negative sensitivity to coercive ISs can be attributed to the low acceptability of forceful influences. We determine degrees of appreciation and acceptability by the perceived significance of benefits/damages, expectations, and tolerance levels for both strategies. Also, we synthesize and metaanalyze the key outcomes and antecedents of both strategies in an integrated framework. The direct-effect results indicate that the choice of effectively applying both strategies necessitates a tradeoff between goals and priorities.

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