Choice confidence in the webrooming purchase process: The impact of online positive reviews and the motivation to touch

Abstract

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.

To whom and when to give: Effects of intimacy and obligation on expressive motives, gift choice, and information search in gift giving

“…First of all, consumers can touch and feel products offline. Touching and feeling products before purchasing gives consumers confidence about their purchase (Flavián, Gurrea, & Orús, 2016) and reduces the resistance consumers feel when they pay for their purchase (Peck & Childers, 2003). Online, on the other hand, contains abundant information consumers have an easy access to (Bhargave, Mantonakis, & White, 2016;Shen, Cai, & Guo, 2016).…”

“…Consumers who purchase products with high utilitarian quality tend to focus on cognitive aspects such as "economic value for the money, convenience, and time savings" (Overby & Lee, 2006, p. 1161. In this sense, consumers will feel more comfortable searching for information online because online information covers product attributes more effectively (Flavián et al, 2016) with its convenience, rich information, objectivity, and flexibility (Riquelme & Román, 2014). Utilitarian products can be evaluated more effectively online because consumers can easily locate and compare merchants, products, and attributes in a shorter time (Grewal, Gopalkrishnan, Krishnan, & Sharma, 2003;Mathwick, Malhotra, & Rigdon, 2001).…”

The effect of availability heuristics in online consumer reviews

“…Understanding how reviews affect decisions is critical for services such as dining and travel that cannot be experienced prior to consumption (Christodoulides, Michealidou, & Argyriou, ). For physical products, consumers often read reviews online prior to purchasing in the store (Flavián, Gurrea, & Orús, ). Positive online reviews help reduce uncertainty and increase confidence in the in‐store purchase (Flavián et al, ).…”

“…For physical products, consumers often read reviews online prior to purchasing in the store (Flavián, Gurrea, & Orús, 2016). Positive online reviews help reduce uncertainty and increase confidence in the in-store purchase (Flavián et al, 2016). According to the 2017 Local Consumer Review Survey, 60% of consumers read restaurant reviews, making them one of the top business categories for review impact (BrightLocal, 2017).…”

Cross Channel Consumer Behavior and its Benefits: Scale Validation to Assess Purchasing Process Performance

“…Although recent studies have shown the relevance of purchasing process behavior in multiple online and offline channels (Flavián, Gurrea, & Orús, 2016;Gerritsen et. al., 2014;Trenz, 2015), there are few academic papers that have systematically developed a specific instrument for measuring CCB and its benefits for the consumer (Gerritsen et al, 2014;Trenz, 2015).…”