The Impact of Recommendations on the Cross-Channel Shopping Behavior

Abstract

Consumers can easily combine different channels to search for information and make purchases. Yet, the physical store is the preferred purchase channel. The cross-channel purchase process (i.e., in-store purchase influenced by online research) is the most extended behavior among online users (eMarketer 2014; Forrester Research 2014). The influence of online information on off-line purchases is expected to be especially significant due to the development of mobile technologies (Van Bruggen et al. 2010). In this way, one of the most beneficial innovations that new technologies have incorporated into the consumer’s shopping process is the access to other consumers’ opinions and evaluations anytime and anywhere (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2010). Despite the great body of research analyzing the effects of traditional word of mouth in conventional shopping environments, and of electronic word of mouth (e-wom) in e-commerce, there is a lack of research on how e-wom influences the consumer’s purchase behavior at the physical outlet. This research examines how external recommendations, coming from online users or the company, influence the cross-channel search experience and decision. Specifically, this research analyzes: (1) how online users’ recommendations help the consumer to improve their cross-channel shopping experience and (2) how consumer versus seller recommendations received during the physical interaction affect the initial impression of the product.