How integrated store-service quality promotes omnichannel shoppers’ word-of-mouth behaviors: the moderating role of perceived relationship investment and the shopper’s perceived value

Abstract

PurposeThe post-purchase behavioral responses of omnichannel shoppers, who mainly rely on physical stores (acknowledged as a crucial channel in providing a seamless shopping experience and fulfilling the dynamic needs of the shoppers), are still understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine how integrated store service quality (ISSQ) can contribute to a more optimal shopping experience (cognitive, affective and relational) and have a subsequent impact on shoppers’ psychological ownership toward the store, resulting in the generation of (face-to-face, online and social media) word of mouth (WOM).Design/methodology/approachThe research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. A purposive sampling technique was used for selecting the study respondents. The data were collected from 786 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that all three dimensions of omnichannel customer experience (cognitive, affective and relational) positively mediate the relationship between ISSQ and psychological ownership, subsequently impacting all three WOM behaviors of omnichannel shoppers (face-to-face, online store and social media). The customer’s perceived value with the store and their perceived retailer relationship investment significantly moderated the relationship between ISSQ and different WOM behaviors (face-to-face, online store and social media). This research also demonstrated the direct impact of ISSQ on WOM and the indirect impact through different customer experience dimensions and psychological ownership.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample used in the study was not probabilistic and, therefore, presents limitations for the possibility of generalizing the results. The study was performed in a cross-sectional methodology in the Indian context; there is a need for longitudinal investigation.Originality/valueThis study addresses the need to investigate different dimensions of omnichannel customer experience that might influence various post-purchase behavioral responses. This study is the first to show that ISSQ might affect omnichannel shoppers' online, offline and social media word-of-mouth behaviors through different customer experience dimensions and the customer’s sense of belongingness to the store. The moderating effect of customer perceived value with the retailer and their perception of retailers’ investment in a relationship on proposed hypotheses was also tested to give managerial recommendations.

Does integrated store service quality turn omnichannel shoppers into price-insensitive, cross-category purchasers, and loyal webroomers? Moderating role of perceived relationship investment and alternative retailer attractiveness

“…Interestingly, recent research has relied upon “Integrated store service quality” to demonstrate the different engagement behaviors of the omnichannel shoppers (Natarajan and Ramanan, 2023) and their online, offline and social media word of mouth behaviors (Natarajan and Veera Raghavan, 2023b) but not on the behaviors that bring in revenue to store like cross-buying behaviors or customers’ willingness to pay more. Parallelly, recent omnichannel literature has focused on webrooming phenomena to decode the antecedents (Aw, 2019) and factors affecting webrooming intentions (Shankar and Jain, 2021), highlighting its benefits to customers in terms of overall satisfaction (Roy, 2022).…”

“…Retailers could also introduce interesting hyper-interactive mirrors that display product information, recommend equivalent products or allow customers to request alternate sizes or colors without leaving the fitting room. (Natarajan and Veer Raghavan 2023b and Natarajan and Ramanan, 2023) Managers could use their team of analysts to develop an AI-based algorithm to identify the different segments of customers of different age cohorts and assess their online engagement levels (say like, their participation in the retailer-owned brand communities, social media pages, etc.) and personalize their in-store product recommendations based on the same.…”

“…When we concentrate on the in-store service quality of the integrated store, we mainly focus on the servicescape of the store. (Natarajan and Veera Raghavan, 2023b; Natarajan and Ramanan, 2023). Extant literature identifies physical and social servicescape as a significant determinant of CE in the hotel services context (Li and Wei, 2021).…”

“…Building a solid online customer experience for an integrated store also plays a critical role in engaging its customers. (Natarajan and Veera Raghavan, 2023b; Natarajan and Ramanan, 2023). Extant literature identifies the easiness of locating the website/app of the store, perceived enjoyment during shopping, perceived personalization, social interactions and multidevice compatibility to be the significant antecedents of unified online customer experience that has an impact on the brand engagement eventually (Bilgihan et al , 2016).…”

“…Establishing a solid integrated presence across channels is very much essential. When customers can experience the product as soon as they order online at a nearby integrated physical store, they feel more engaged and develop a strong sense of belongingness with the store (Natarajan and Veera Raghavan, 2023b; Natarajan and Ramanan, 2023).…”