E-Commerce And Showrooming: How Retail is Changing

Giuseppe Granata; Giancarlo  Scozzese

doi:10.24297/ijmit.v16i.9131

Authors

Giuseppe Granata Department of Economics, University Mercatorum of Rome, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0830-7472
Giancarlo Scozzese Department of Human and Social Sciences, University for Foreigners, Perugia, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1551-439X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24297/ijmit.v16i.9131

Keywords:

showrooming, online-offline retailing, omni-channel, multichannel, e-commerce

Abstract

Distribution channels are undergoing a radical change. The success of the online channel and digitalization driven by a few leading companies in recent years has dramatically changed the way people live and change their purchasing patterns. New technologies have multiplied the points of contact; broadband connection has increased the number of always-on consumers and, at the same time, has developed online shopping (Pentina & Hasty, 2009).
What are the implications of digital technological innovations? Will the physical store continue to play a key role? Will online shopping be able to offer an engaging and exciting consumer experience?
For example, showrooming is becoming a common practice. It consists in obtaining all relevant information about a product at the point of sale and finally, buying it online. This practice is often used in order to save money since online prices are known to be lower than in retail shops. It is also driven by the customer's need to touch a product before buying it. More and more retailers are dealing with this phenomenon of being a storefront, providing information, letting people touch products and eventually making fewer sales.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Armstrong K. & Rutter C. (2017). Exploring the enigma of the happiness construct in phygital fashion experiences. Advanced fashion technology and operations management, IGI Global. Hershey, 220-233. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1865-5.ch009

Beck N. & Rygl D. (2015). Categorization of multiple channel retailing in Multi-, Cross-, and Omni-Channel Retailing for retailers and retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 27, 170-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.08.001

Brynjolfsson E., Hu Y.J. & Rahman M.S. (2013). Competing in the age of omni-channel retailing. MIT Sloan Management Review, 54(4), 23.

Desai P., Potia A. & Salsberg B. (2012). Retail 4.0: The future of retail grocery in a digital world. Asia Consumer and Retail Practice, 1-67.

Fairchild A.M. (2014). Extending the network: Defining product delivery partnering preferences for omni-channel commerce. Procedia Technology, 16, 447-451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protcy.2014.10.111

Frazer M. & Stiehler B.E. (2014). Omni-channel retailing: The merging of the online and off-line environment. In Global Conference on Business & Finance Proceedings, Institute for Business & Finance Research, 9(1), 655.

Granata G., Scozzeze G., (2018), The Evolution of Virtual Marketing to improve Business Communication, International Business Research, Vol. 11 n° 12, ISSN 1913-9012, https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v11n12p105.

Granata G., Scozzeze G., (2019), Social Media Marketing as a tool to manage luxury brands, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences, ISSN: 2225-8329, vol. 9 n° 4, https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARAFMS/v9-i4/6893.

Granata, G. (2021). The Digital Evolution of Consumer Purchasing Methods and the Impact on Retail. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences, 10(4), 1-7. ISSN 2225-8329 https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARAFMS/v10-i4/8429.

Herhausen D., Binder J., Schoegel M. & Herrmann A. (2015). Integrating bricks with clicks: retailer-level and channel-level outcomes of online–offline channel integration. Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 309-325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2014.12.009.

Lewis J., Foster C. & Whysall P. (2013). Understanding the issues associated with going multi-channel: preliminary findings from an exploratory study in the UK retail sector. In the 17th EAERCD conference.

Moretta Tartaglione A., Granata G., (2019) Retail Customer Engagement: A Systematic Mapping Study, Chapter in book: Granata G., Moretta Tartaglione A., Tsiakis T., Predicting Trends and Building Strategies for Consumer Engagement in Retail Environments, IGI Global – USA. ISBN13: 9781522578567|ISBN10: 1522578560|EISBN13: 9781522578574, https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7856-7.ch001

Neslin S.A., Grewal D., Leghorn R., Shankar V., Teerling M.L., Thomas J.S. & Verhoef P.C. (2006). Challenges and opportunities in multichannel customer management. Journal of Service Research, 9(2), 95-112. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670506293559.

Pentina I. & Hasty R.W. (2009). Effects of multichannel coordination and e-commerce outsourcing on online retail performance. Journal of Marketing Channels, 16(4), 359-374. https://doi.org/10.1080/10466690903188021.

Piotrowicz W. & Cuthbertson R. (2014). Introduction to the special issue information technology in retail: Toward omni-channel retailing. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 18(4), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.2753/JEC1086-4415180400.

Rigby D. (2011). The future of shopping. Harvard Business Review, 89(12), 65-76.

Sawhney M. & Kotler P. (2001). Marketing in the age of information democracy. Kellogg on marketing, 386-408.

Strang R. (2013). Retail without boundaries. Supply Chain Management Review, 17(6).

Verhoef P.C., Neslin S.A. & Vroomen B. (2007). Multichannel customer management: Understanding the research-shopper phenomenon. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24(2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2006.11.002.

Verhoef P.C., Kannan P.K. & Inman J.J. (2015). From multi-channel retailing to omni-channel retailing: introduction to the special issue on multi-channel retailing. Journal of retailing, 91(2), 174-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2015.02.005.

Zhang J., Farris P.W., Irvin J.W., Kushwaha T., Steenburgh T.J. & Weitz B.A. (2010). Crafting integrated multichannel retailing strategies. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 24(2), 168-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2010.02.002.