Examining the Channel Choice of Experience-Oriented Customers in Omni-Channel Retailing

摘要

In omni-channel retailing, this article draws on the theory of customer experience to research channel choice when consumers stay at different shopping stages. Through theoretical analysis, the customer experience was divided into three dimensions, functional, emotional, and seamless experience, and channel was divided into online and offline channel. Used survey to collect 266 valid questionnaires, and multiple linear regression and Probit model was employed to test the hypotheses. The results show that product type and shopping stage can influence the consumers' purchase decision and channel choice. For utilitarian products, functional and seamless experience have positive influence on omni-channel usage, and consumers tend to select online channel both in search and purchase stage; for hedonic product, emotional and seamless experience have positive influence on omni-channel usage, and consumers tent to select offline channel both in search and purchase stage. The findings provided some theoretical contributions and practical implications.