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For consumers, cross-channel behaviour is increasingly prevalent. Such behaviour involves consumers actively engaging in (and deriving benefit) from one channel during a product search but switching to another channel when making a purchase. Drawing on multi-attribute utility theory, this study proposes a cross-channel behaviour typology consisting of three key aspects: channel choice behaviour, functional and economic outcomes and consumer-specific psychographic and demographic variables.

Segmentation analysis conducted via latent class analysis (LCA) was performed on a sample of 400 US consumers collected via an online survey.

Cross-channel behaviour is not always intentional. We identify a specific segment of consumers that most often engage in unplanned, rather than intentional, cross-channel switching. We find that of all shoppers that engage in cross-channel behaviour, a fifth (20%) are forced to switch channels at the point of purchase.

Cross-channel behaviour can be mitigated by retailers via a deep understanding of the driving factors of different configurations of showrooming and webrooming.

In contrast with existing conceptualisations, this study suggests that cross-channel behaviour often stems from consumers being “forced” by factors outside of their control, but within the retailers' control. This research presents a nuanced approach to decompose consumer cross-channel behaviour from the consumer perspective as planned, forced or opportunistic.

Purchasing behaviour across traditional retail and internet routes to market is becoming increasingly integrated. The positive and negative consequences of such behaviour for multi‐channel businesses have not been thoroughly examined – while an offline retail presence may reassure customers purchasing from an online channel, poor service online may negatively influence customer usage of an offline channel. This paper aims to address this issue.

A questionnaire survey of the online customers of four companies is employed and structural equation modelling used to investigate influences of demographic and behavioural variables (purchase involvement, loyalty, experience with the internet, company and product‐type) on positive and negative cross‐channel behaviour (CCB).

Strong evidence for both positive and negative customer CCB is found. Females, higher purchase involvement, higher loyalty and those with more experience of the company were more likely to display positive CCB; higher education, experience with the product type and online channel negatively influenced positive CCB. Increased age, education, occupation/class and purchase involvement lead to more negative CCB; product and company experience lead to reduced levels of negative CCB.

As a first step towards understanding of customer CCB the research generates many insights; however, more research is required to explore in more depth each of the constructs discussed and measured.

Understanding how different customer groups display different tendencies for CCB can help companies shape fulfilment and delivery strategies across different channels to market.

The study makes contributions to customer cross‐channel customer behaviour, developing implications for future research as well as management practice.

Consumer behavior has evolved because of technological development. Nowadays, consumers carry out the different stages of the decision-making process by combining multiple devices which has been defined as multi, cross and omnichannel behavior. These behaviors have attracted the attention of academics and become a hot topic in literature. As a result, vast amounts of studies on the subject need to be revised and clarified. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to synthetize the primary academic literature that analyzes multi, cross and omnichannel behavior from the consumer point of view. To do that, first, the main concepts (multi, cross and omnichannel) and their differences are clarified. Second, the major findings of channel mix literature regarding the topics, channel scope and theories are exposed and described. Third, the opportunities and future lines of research are presented. This chapter contributes to the literature by clarifying the conceptualization of multi, cross and omnichannel behaviors; offering a complete picture of the main topics, channel approaches and theories addressed in channel mix literature; and presenting future research opportunities and open research questions in a channel mix context that could serve as a starting point to build further research.

In dual distribution channel systems, integrated channels (manufacturer-owned) and independent channels (distributor-owned) are likely to adopt destructive behaviours. To suppress such behaviours, manufacturers need to implement conflict management systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of conflict-learning capability (CLC) in the relationship between conflict management system and destructive behaviour. This study also investigates whether interactions between conflict management systems and CLC improve the overall channel performance.

Using survey data from 157 Japanese industrial manufacturers, this study conducted regression analyses and mediation analyses.

The results show that boundary and compensation systems have different effects on destructive behaviours. On the one hand, compensation systems with strong CLC have a larger impact, although those with weak CLC can also suppress destructive behaviours to some degree. On the other hand, boundary systems with strong CLC suppress destructive behaviours, but those with weak CLC do not. In addition, this study reveals that manufacturers with strong CLC can indirectly improve overall channel performance by implementing conflict management systems and suppressing destructive behaviours.

Previous studies reveal that boundary and compensation systems suppress destructive behaviours. However, these studies neglect the importance of organisational capability in the successful implementation of conflict management systems. By focusing on CLC, this study advances our understanding of dual distribution and channel conflict.

With the proliferation of internet-based communication channels, understanding how restaurant consumers engage in electronic word of mouth (EWOM) has become an important field of academic pursuit. However, while communication channels have become more numerous and complex, the methods used to operationalize the attendant EWOM behaviors on these channels have remained relatively simplistic. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to consider existing methods of measuring restaurant EWOM in terms of their face validity in the contemporary communications landscape.

This study uses a total of six independent surveys that use various combinations of sampling, methodological and analytical approaches to demonstrate, measurement, social media, methodology, user-generated content, EWOM, electronic word of mouth the multiple problems associated with the measurement of restaurant EWOM as a latent construct.

The results suggest that the current methods for measuring EWOM are indeed outdated, indicating the need for a more nuanced approach to the academic pursuit of EWOM behavior.

The existing methods of measuring restaurant EWOM are found to be invalid for many reasons. These methods of measuring EWOM should be abandoned in favor of channel-specific operationalizations that control for previous behavior and respondents’ account access at a minimum.

As its inception, many studies have operationalized restaurant EWOM as an intention-based construct used to measure an individual’s likelihood to communicate information about hospitality experiences “online.” While such measures were no doubt valid in the early years of EWOM research, the research is the first to criticize the face validity of this approach in terms of its relevance in the contemporary communications environment.

Recent statistics on increasing webrooming customers make it topical in the multi-channel retailing domain. The purpose of this paper is to offer an enhanced understanding on “Webrooming behaviour”, an area of concern for e-retailers by proposing an integrated framework grounded on the Theory of planned behaviour and Technology acceptance model.

The conceptual model presented develops a number of propositions applicable to webrooming behaviour utilizing the rich literature on channel choice behaviour in the multi-channel retailing environment. The propositions are open for verification and can serve the basis for future line of research.

The model proposed provides basis for understanding the webrooming sequence via search attitude towards online channels, purchase attitude towards offline channels, perceived ease of online search and perceived usefulness of webrooming behaviour. The impact of online risk perceptions and mediating role of (lack of) “trust” have been proposed along with the direct impact of product type and category which offers an holistic view towards understanding the webrooming conduct.

The model proposed lacks empirical verification. There is a need to test the model empirically to validate the model and to find out the suitability of integrated TPB-TAM model.

Webrooming substantially erodes online profits. Before retailers’ strategies to defend webroomers, it is imperative to understand the phenomenon from the consumer’s side. The model proposed is a step in this direction and provides the basis for formulating strategies for holding back the webroomers.

This paper adds to the body of knowledge in retailing by proposing a conceptual model on webrooming behaviour which is an emerging area of research in the present retail landscape.

The extent of relational behaviors displayed by independent partners in channels of distribution is a critical determinant of the efficiency and effectiveness of distribution operations. The purpose of this study is to focus on the two key antecedents of relational behaviors in channel dyads, dependence on and trust in the exchange partner, and to explore the relative effects of dependence and trust on each of the three major relational behavior forms of flexibility, information exchange, and solidarity.

Formal hypotheses are developed in the study regarding the joint and relative effects of dependence and trust on each relational behavior. Data collected from 192 automobile dealerships in Turkey are used for testing the hypotheses through separate regression analyses.

In line with the main study thesis, the results suggest that the relative effects of dependence on and trust in the supplier differ across dealer flexibility, information exchange, and solidarity displayed toward the supplier firms. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

Findings of the study provide guidelines to channel firms in regard to the policies and programs that need to be developed to evoke desired forms of behaviors within their distribution networks.

Considering each relational behavior separately, this study provides support for the view that the emergences of different forms of behaviors in channel relationships occur through different motivational mechanisms.

This study examines the dynamic relationships of visit behavior in the multiple channels [personal computer (PC) and mobile channels] on online store sales performance.

The empirical data were from an online store for the period between August 14, 2015 and May 15, 2016. The data consisted of consumer visit behavior and online store sales performance. Vector autoregression with an exogenous variables model was adopted to investigate the dynamic relationships.

The empirical results show significant relationships between visit behavior metrics (number of visitors, average number of visits per visitor and average length of each visit) in the two channels and online store sales performance. The number of visitors through the PC and mobile channels strongly and positively affects online store sales performance both in the short term and in the longer term. Moreover, the number of visitors in the PC channel has the strongest influence on sales performance metrics, followed by the number of visitors and the average number of visits in the mobile channel. The PC channel's visit behavior metrics explain a larger proportion of the sales performance variance than that in the mobile channel.

The previous literature on consumer behavior in multichannel marketing mainly focuses on channel selection or migration, and examines the different factors affecting channel choice behavior. Little is known about the impacts of visit behavior in the multiple channels. This study adopts the heuristic-systematic information processing theory to unveil the impacts of visit behavior metrics in the PC and mobile channels on online store sales performance.

Building on stimulus organism response theory, the current study examines the influence of channel integration quality dimensions (channel service configuration and integrated interactions) on the omnichannel retail store's shoppers' satisfaction, trust and commitment, subsequently leading to customer citizenship behavior (CCB). It examines the relationships proposed against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender.

The research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. It was conducted using data from 451 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM and PLS-MGA.

The results indicate that channel service configuration positively impact the dimensions of relationship quality of the omnichannel shoppers. However, integrated interactions influence trust and commitment directly but affect satisfaction indirectly through trust. Subsequently, relationship quality significantly explains CCB. The model results show r2 = 0.402 for CCB; that is, 40.2% of CCB is explained by channel integration and relationship quality. The moderating effect of the number of purchase channels used and gender on all proposed relationships were tested. PLS-MGA results revealed channel service configuration led to shopper commitment, subsequently impacting CCB. The effect was more among shoppers who used more than 2 channels. The impact of channel service configuration on commitment was seen more among female shoppers. Male and female shoppers exhibited satisfaction-driven and trust-driven citizenship behavior, respectively.

The study is carried out in the Indian population, where omnichannel retailing is still in the nascent stage.

This is the first study to demonstrate channel integration quality may influence customer citizenship behavior through relationship quality dimensions, tested against boundary conditions, the number of channels used during the purchase and gender. The findings from this research would help retail store managers design their omnichannel operations to encourage firm-beneficial value co-creation behaviors among omnichannel shoppers.

Power is an important construct in retailing and channel literature. Power is studied in improving the performance of the firm, but less emphasis is given on the behavioral changes that lead to an improvement in performance. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the relationship between sources of power and channel members’ trust, affective commitment, agent dependence and environmental munificence individually. Also, the paper examines the interrelationship among coercive, expert, referent, legitimate and reward sources of power.

The study uses a structured questionnaire to collect data from 214 channel members from an Indian oil company. The study uses a covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach for establishing the interrelationship among sources of power. Also, the study uses partial least squares SEM approach for determining the relationship between power sources and channel members’ behavior.

The study establishes that the dichotomous nature of power, i.e. coercive and non-coercive power source exists independently in an emerging country context. Further, coercive power sources are negatively and non-coercive power sources are positively associated with trust. Also, coercive and reward power sources are positively associated with agent dependence, whereas expert, referent and legitimate power sources are positively related to affective commitment. Finally, referent power is found to be positively associated with environmental munificence.

The paper offers several managerial implications. For practitioners, the paper highlights that application of coercive and non-coercive power sources can bring the desired change in channel members’ behavior. Also, acknowledging the power position between channel leader and channel member can foster more efficient association.

The paper contributes to the literature on channel management by enhancing the understanding of sources of power and their influence on the behavior of channel members. First, the study examines the relationship between channel members’ behavior of trust, affective commitment, agent dependence and environmental munificence and five sources of power. Second, the study establishes the interrelationship among sources of power. Finally, the paper outlines the implications for managers for effective use of sources of power in channel management.