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The webrooming purchase process (i.e. searching for information online and then buying the product offline) is the most extended crosschannel shopping behaviour. With the aim of offering a better understanding of this behaviour, this research relies on information processing and uncertainty reduction theories to propose that consumers use the online information to make the offline purchase with a higher degree of confidence. We examine the effects of a previous online interaction with a product on the preferences and decision at the physical store, as well as on the outcomes of the experience. In this path to purchase, we analyse how positive online customer reviews, as a specific form of electronic word of mouth, help the consumer to improve their experience, given their great potential to reduce the consumer's uncertainty in a purchase situation. In addition, the role of the motivation to touch the product is examined. The results of two studies show that the combination of an online search and an offline purchase improves the consumers' purchase experience in pre-choice variables (i.e. purchase intentions), choice and post-choice variables (i.e. search-process satisfaction and choice confidence). Moreover, reading a positive online customer review influences choice confidence, and all the variables considered in the research when it is received at the physical store. Finally, the results stress the importance of the motivation to touch when studying multichannel shopping behaviour, given its direct and moderating effects on the webrooming purchase process. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

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The multichannel marketing literature consistently shows that consumers who use multiple channels in their purchase journeys are more satisfied, loyal, and can be more profitable, than single-channel consumers. However, there is little research investigating how specific channel combinations affect the customer experience. Recognizing that webrooming (research products online, purchase offline) is the prevalent form of cross-channel shopping, this paper examines its influence on the consumer's search process satisfaction. The results of three studies combining qualitative, survey, and experimental methods show that webrooming leads to more satisfaction than showrooming behaviors. Furthermore, we find that webrooming makes consumers feel more confident and like "smart shoppers." Both factors subsequently determine satisfaction. Perceptions of money savings also affect search process satisfaction. Importantly, saving time and/or effort during the purchase process (convenience) has no influence on satisfaction with cross-channel shopping. The results are robust across shopping motivations and product categories. Theoretical implications and proposals for effective channel integration are offered.

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Purpose-This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of impulse buying in the fashion industry. The online and offline channels are compared to determine which is perceived as leading to more impulsive buying. Design/methodology/approach-As the result of the literature review, three research questions are proposed and examined through an online self-administered survey with 212 valid responses. Findings-Results show that the offline channel is slightly more encouraging of impulse buying than the online channel; factors that encourage online impulse buying explain this behaviour to a greater extent than do discouraging factors; social networks can have a big impact on impulse buying. Research limitations/implications-Findings are limited by the sampling plan, the sample size and the measurement of some of the variables; only one product type is analysed. Further research is needed to confirm that shipping-refund costs and delayed gratification (traditionally, discouraging factors of online buying) encourage online impulse buying; clarify contradictory results regarding the role of online privacy and convenience. This research contributes to the validation of a scale to measure the influence of social media on impulse buying behaviour. Practical implications-Offline companies can trigger the buying impulse to a greater extent than online retailers. Managers must carefully select social networks to encourage impulse buying, Facebook and Instagram being the most influential; Twitter has the least impact. Originality/value-This study compares the impulse buying phenomenon in both the physical store and the internet. Moreover, the influence of social networks on impulse buying is also explored.

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Impacts of technological embodiment through virtual reality on potential guests' emotions and engagementVirtual reality technologies have increased the integration between devices and the human senses. Despite the increased interest in embodied technologies in tourism, there has been little research into the effectiveness of virtual reality, particularly in the hospitality sector. The aim of the present work is to analyze the impact of technological embodiment on potential guests' emotional reactions and engagement in the context of a hotel-based virtual reality experience. Results from a laboratory experiment showed that, compared to desktop computers and mobile phones, virtual reality devices evoke more positive emotional reactions and higher levels of psychological and behavioral engagement. In addition, emotions and psychological engagement mediate the impact of embodied virtual reality devices on behavioral engagement. The results underline the importance of technological embodiment in providing engaging hotel-based pre-experiences, where the hotels incorporate virtual reality into their communication strategies.