Effect of channel integration quality on consumer responses within omni-channel retailing
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 3 February 2022
Issue publication date: 4 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to explore the influence of channel integration quality on consumer perception and response from the individual customer perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected 517 online questionnaires from residents in Taipei (Taiwan) and Shenzhen (China) in 2020 based on quota sampling. The empirical study employed structural equation modeling.
Findings
Based on the empirical results, the primary path indicated that channel-service configuration positively affected experience quality, which mainly positively affected customer engagement. The secondary path showed that channel-service configuration positively affected experience quality, which positively affected customer empowerment. Furthermore, experience quality and relationship proneness are mediating variables concerning the impact of channel integration quality on customer responses.
Research limitations/implications
This study had time and budget limitations; thus, 517 questionnaires were collected from Taipei and Shenzhen. If the budget allows, it would be better to collect 1,000 questionnaires in total (500 from Taipei and 500 from Shenzhen).
Practical implications
Retailers should realize the core of omni-channel retailing, which is no longer concentrated on the “quantity” of channels but on consumers. When omni-channel retailers integrate online and offline channels, the retailers should try to understand what consumers want and then provide similar and diverse products and services in different channels so that consumers have more choices.
Originality/value
The novelty of this research is the investigation of the mediation effect of channel integration quality and consumer responses on retailers and consumers, and enriching current research on omni-channel retailing from the bottom-up perspective, as well as a comprehensive study on the two types of channel integration quality and two types of consumer responses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding details: There is no funding source in this study.
Data availability statement: There is no data set associated with this paper.
Ethical approval: This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Patent consent statement: The authors agree the patent consent statement to follow the policy of the Journal.
Permission to reproduce material from other sources: The authors agree that the permission to reproduce material from other sources to follow the policy of the Journal.
Clinical trial registration: This article does not contain any clinical trial affairs to human or animal.
Conflict of interest disclosure statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation
Chen, T.Y., Yeh, T.L., Wu, H.L. and Deng, S. (2023), "Effect of channel integration quality on consumer responses within omni-channel retailing", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 149-173. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-04-2021-0270
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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