A moderated mediating mechanism of omnichannel customer experiences

Abstract

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.

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

“…When online and offline channels are successfully integrated, businesses are able to maxmize the benefits of each channel, reduce cannibalization, and promote synergy, and as a result, businesses would reach better performance [61,62]. Channel integration is essential for retailers to provide the seamless shopping experience in the omni-channel environment [35,63,64]. According to Sousa and Voss [64], channel integration quality was assessed through two dimensions: channel-service configuration and integrated interactions.…”

The mediating effect of consumer empowerment in omni-channel retailing

“…Empowered customers have been reported to be more likely to show favourable interactions with the retailer (Wathieu et al , 2002). For online firms, providing CE has become unavoidable (Le and Nguyen-Le, 2020). Thus, the essential role of CE in OC strategy is consumers' control and management of their choices (Goraya et al , 2020).…”

“…The emerging literature on OC studies presents a distorted and contradictory perspective on customer decision making (Mishra et al , 2020). Moreover, there is still much uncertainty about the development of the OC experience and the behavioural outcomes in OCR (Le and Nguyen-Le, 2020). In light of aforementioned considerations, this study is intended to address the OC customer experience and decision making.…”

Channel Depth or Consistency? A Study on Establishing a Sustainable Omnichannel Strategy for Fashion Department Store Retailers

“…Previous retail research has defined channel integration quality as composed of two dimensions-process and content consistency across channels [30,32]. Process consistency refers to the "degree of consistency of relevant and comparable process attributes across channels" [29].…”