{"title":"Why do customers choose online or offline channels? A framework of motives and its application in an international context","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104054","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study provides a comprehensive and theory-based framework of motives for choosing online or offline channels and analyzes the importance of such motives in different contexts. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in Germany and Poland, we identify 23 motives for channel use. A subsequent survey study with 4000 respondents from both countries reveals that most important motives relate to the search outcome, purchase outcome and utilitarian aspects of the shopping process, while hedonic motives, habits and ethical issues come second. Results further show that Polish respondents are more demanding and rate most motives as more important than German customers, except motives related to maintaining habits and supporting physical stores. We explain these results by different economic conditions and retail structures in Western and Eastern Europe. The results contribute towards understanding consumers’ retailer and channel choice and help retailers to focus on particular motives depending on market and product context.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698924003503/pdfft?md5=a731505e55439cccd97dfa69b43eba2f&pid=1-s2.0-S0969698924003503-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698924003503","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive and theory-based framework of motives for choosing online or offline channels and analyzes the importance of such motives in different contexts. Based on in-depth interviews conducted in Germany and Poland, we identify 23 motives for channel use. A subsequent survey study with 4000 respondents from both countries reveals that most important motives relate to the search outcome, purchase outcome and utilitarian aspects of the shopping process, while hedonic motives, habits and ethical issues come second. Results further show that Polish respondents are more demanding and rate most motives as more important than German customers, except motives related to maintaining habits and supporting physical stores. We explain these results by different economic conditions and retail structures in Western and Eastern Europe. The results contribute towards understanding consumers’ retailer and channel choice and help retailers to focus on particular motives depending on market and product context.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is a prominent publication that serves as a platform for international and interdisciplinary research and discussions in the constantly evolving fields of retailing and services studies. With a specific emphasis on consumer behavior and policy and managerial decisions, the journal aims to foster contributions from academics encompassing diverse disciplines. The primary areas covered by the journal are:
Retailing and the sale of goods
The provision of consumer services, including transportation, tourism, and leisure.