PHYSICAL VS. DIGITAL INTERACTIONS: VALUE GENERATION WITHIN CUSTOMER-RETAILER INTERACTION

Abstract

The traditional retail sector is currently facing major challenges, particularly due to digitalisation and the associated changes in customer behaviour, increasing demands in the service world, new technologies and other factors. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated and intensified this process. From a retailer's point of view, it is essential to create value for the customer through digital interactions. In this article, a study based on the Value in Interaction Model investigates whether it is possible for physical retailers to make a digitally supported interaction as valuable as the direct contact in the store and what influence this has on the Perceived Relationship Quality. The results show that the difference in perceived value between the physical and digital retailer interaction is relatively small. This proves that when the interaction layers are actively designed with a focus on value, a digital interaction can be almost as valuable as the traditional in-store interaction.