Understanding shopping routes of offline purchasers: selection of search-channels (online vs. offline) and search-platforms (mobile vs. PC) based on product types

Abstract

With the advent of the Internet and mobile technologies, shopping behavior has become increasingly complex due to the variety of channels providing consumers with various options to search and buy. However, contrary to our common belief, offline channels (compared to online channels) are still considered consumers’ preferred purchasing routes. In fact, bricks-and-mortar stores continue to function as the hub of value propositions of the retail industry. Accordingly, we take a closer look at the shopping behavior of offline shoppers. Focusing specifically on the search stage of these consumers, this study investigates the effects of shopping motives on (1) the choice of search channel (online vs. offline), (2) the selection of search platform (mobile devices vs. PCs) and (3) the moderating role of product types (search goods vs. experience goods). Our results show that the price-consciousness and shopping-enjoyment orientations have a positive influence on the probability of engaging in a webrooming behavior (i.e., search online but purchase offline) while the convenience orientation has a negative influence. Furthermore, our findings suggest that webroomers who are highly oriented towards convenience, enjoyment, and exploration are more likely to use mobile devices than stationary devices when searching information online. Lastly, our results indicate that there are differences in those selection preferences across product types. Our findings provide retailers with guidelines for developing new marketing strategies in today’s multichannel and highly mobile-oriented shopping environment.