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The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of Pay-What-You-Want (PWYW) pricing multi-channel retailing. Specifically, the impact of PWYW endogenous price discrimination on consumers’ price fairness perception of and reactions to PWYW is investigated.

Three empirical studies with different product categories were conducted through lab experiments with student sample using scenario-based experimental approach.

Results indicate the viability of PWYW with lower suggested external reference price. The impact of PWYW endogenous price discrimination is dependent upon the magnitude of price deviation from regular market price and product category. Consumers’ negative perceptions of price differentiation interacted with their underlying beliefs about the retailer’s cost of products across different channels. PWYW acceptance can be fostered in multi-channel by communication of additional-value generated in offline selling.

The current research is possibly the first to explore PWYW viability in the multi-channel context by exploring the consumer’s price perception process and critical consumer reactions through a well-structured research framework.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the antecedent of satisfaction and loyalty in the context of a multi-channel banking environment. Multi-channel banking involves both branch and electronic banking channels through which the customers interact with the bank.

The study involved a customer survey of 229 respondents, which used a convenience sampling approach through intercepts and interviews held at bank branches. A structured questionnaire was used, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

While examining factors such as perceived ease of use, branch service quality evaluation, satisfaction, and loyalty, it is observed, using structural equation modeling, that perceived ease of use and branch service quality are antecedents to satisfaction and satisfaction positively affects the loyalty.

Although it is realized that digital banking will positively influence loyalty, the role of branch service quality cannot be ignored. The role played by the ease of use is higher than branch service quality evaluations.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of why and how different ages use shopping channels, analysing preferences and motivations for use.

Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 50 female participants, aged 20-70. All were customers of a fashion retailer that has ecommerce and mcommerce platforms, stores and catalogues, in order to gain a better understanding of loyal consumers’ multi-channel behaviour.

Multi-channel shopping behaviour increased with age; the 20s did not engage in multi-channel shopping behaviour but viewed each channel as a separate entity. Mcommerce is the preferred shopping channel for the 20s, but its popularity and motivations to use decreases with age. Ecommerce is the most popular shopping channel due to convenience, selection, adventure/exploration and idea shopping. The physical store was the preferred channel for the 60+, who shopped there for convenience and enjoyment. Catalogues were seen as out-dated and no longer considered a transactional channel.

There are no previous studies that have investigated channel preferences and motivations across a 50-year age span using loyal customers. The majority of previous studies looking at multi-channel shopping behaviour are quantitative and so this qualitative enquiry provides a richer insight into reasons for consumer preferences and motivations. The study contributes novel findings to the literature as it shows that multi-channel shopping behaviour increases with age, and younger consumers (20s) are not partaking in it at all.

The research purpose was to identify whether changes occurred between 2000 and 2003 in the retail channel use of rural consumers for searching product information and for purchasing food and fiber products and to investigate whether differences existed between channel use groups (i.e. store only shoppers, store and catalog shoppers, and multi‐channel shoppers) concerning perceived time property, satisfaction with local offerings, community attachment, shopping criteria, and financial security.

Survey methodology was used. Questionnaires were mailed to participants living in non‐metropolitan statistical areas of the USA with populations less than 12,500. In 2000, 2,198 participants returned the questionnaire. Follow‐up questionnaires were mailed to the same participants during 2003 and returned by 847 participants. The analysis is based on the responses of the 847 participants.

To search for information on apparel, food, or home furnishing products, internet use increased slightly as did use of the internet to purchase apparel and home furnishings. Multi‐channel shoppers rated themselves as time‐pressed, dissatisfied with local offerings, unattached to their community, and unconcerned with financial security while shopping.

Rural consumers are slowly increasing their use of internet even as they report their satisfaction with shopping with local brick and mortar stores increased during the time period studied. The time is right for rural retailers to enhance both personal and professional relationships with their customers. Rural retailers can capitalize on consumer satisfaction and provide outstanding value and service to keep local customers in local markets.

The paper provides information on new and different retailing practices that satisfy rural consumers in the USA.

The technology impact on the various functions in retailing has been increasing. As the number of channels for a retailer increases, managing the dynamics of customer behaviour in the rapidly emerging multi‐channel environment becomes complex. Building and retaining a long‐term association with customers require that relationship management applications should be able to accommodate the various channels. Multi‐channel customers are the most valuable customers and hence multi‐channel integration would improve customer loyalty and retention. This paper considers the impact of Web services on multi‐channel integration, the customer decision‐making process and the implications of effectively managing buyer behaviour for competitive advantage. The role of Web services is explored with the help of a few customer purchase scenarios.

The growth in online shopping has presented challenges for physical distribution service quality (PDSQ) provided by retailers, including both multi‐channel and pure players, and logistics service providers (LSPs). Issues emerging from a consumer survey regarding electronic physical distribution service quality (e‐PDSQ) informed this paper's research, which aims to consider this phenomenon.

The research study employed qualitative interviews with retailers, logistics service providers and experts to consider the consumer survey findings and discuss the current market situation and suggestions for improvement.

Interviewees confirmed that pure players offer better e‐PDSQ than multi‐channel retailers as well as important constructs of availability, time, condition and returns regarding this phenomenon, but also raised issues of relationships between retailers and LSPs and costs regarding service trade‐offs.

The research undertaken was exploratory and will require further and wider testing in other contexts and geographical areas to assure external validity.

The findings have strategic importance for online retailers and LSPs to achieve competitive advantage and offer superior customer service.

This paper extends earlier, limited work on e‐PDSQ and considers retailer and LSP points of view concerning previous research into consumer expectations and perceptions of e‐PDSQ.

The primary objective of this qualitative research is to gain a deeper understanding of the multi-channel impact on the role of sales forces and the way in which they are managed in a B2B context.

The authors compare the conclusion of their literature review with an analysis of the sales strategy of a leading cosmetic brand. They conducted their study by applying a multi-method qualitative research approach, which includes semi-structured interviews with managers and a research action performed by accompanying five salespeople on visits to their professional clients.

The results suggest that the development of a multi-channel context encourages salespeople to focus less on sales and order taking and more on advising clients about how best to develop their businesses. The multi-channel evolution seems to have enabled a transition of the role of sales people from a sales function to a function of a provider of personalized advice in the fields of business development, team management, salon promotions and merchandising.

The quest for coherence, particularly at the international level, would justify a broadening of our study to include the impact of multi-channels sales on the market positioning of the brand and of other brands in different industrial sectors.

The expansion of the multi-channel sales approach implies that managers are obliged to seek a convergence, or at least a degree of coherence between the different channels. This strategy can be used to promote an effective integration of channels at the international level into a single, reliable distribution system that avoids all forms of cannibalization. The Omni-channel strategy implies shifting the emphasis in the channel and moving from a focus on direct sales to the professional client (“selling-in”) to a stress on direct sales to the end user (“selling-out”).

This article provides an original analytical approach to highlighting training methods and systems of remuneration that will help sales forces to manage the inter-channel migration of their customers. Salespeople will then be able to view the future Omni-channel context as an opportunity to improve the status of their role.

Smart firms are not worried about the impact of the Internet on pricing, but realise that they have the unique opportunity to exploit new options and improve their marketing performance. Multi‐channel pricing is one of the most interesting opportunities firms can exploit in the digital economy. Reviews the existing literature on pricing on the Internet and on multi‐channel pricing. Presents the results of an exploratory research on price opportunities perceived by firms. Offers a picture of the possible multi‐channel options available to firms and highlights the importance of the value for and of the customer.

This research aims to enrich the literature related to the emerging topic of omni-channel. The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship between omni-channel integration quality (IQ), omni-channel perceived value (PV), customer satisfaction and loyalty in the banking context.

A quantitative study was conducted to collect data. A web-based questionnaire was sent by an e-mail to a sample of 395 bank customers. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used for the statistical analysis of the data.

The results reveal that a high quality of omni-channel banking integration increases the PV of the omni-channel by the customer. There is also a positive relationship between PV and customer satisfaction, as well as customer loyalty, in the omni-channel banking context. A positive relationship between omni-channel IQ and customer satisfaction was also highlighted. Furthermore, customer loyalty can be increased through enhancing customer satisfaction within omni-channel banking.

Bank managers should provide a consistent omni-channel integration of their omni-channels, as it leads to a higher level of customers’ perception of value and it increases their satisfaction. A high IQ and PV of omni-channel could also be an efficient tool to promote customers’ long-term relationships, as it enhances satisfaction and loyalty towards the bank.

After being studied in a multi-channel context, this study extends the use of the concepts of IQ and PV on omni-channel. This research is among the few studies that empirically test nearly all the relationships of the research model in an omni-channel environment, in general, and in omni-channel banking, in particular. Furthermore, this research offers a comprehension of the omni-channel system from customer’s point of view, which is an insufficiently explored topic.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a conceptual model to predict the determinants of online channel use in a multi‐channel environment.

A case study of a free, multi‐channel entertainment magazine is used to statistically analyse a proposed model of customers' channel use (n=224) using an online survey of real consumers.

The findings in the paper confirm a number of determinants of consumer attitudes. Subjective norms and consumer attitudes positively affect behavioural intention to use and intentions directly relate to actual use. The results also indicate that three constructs (i.e. enjoyment, marketing efforts and age), one from each three main determinant groups (i.e. marketing variables, individual difference variables and channel attributes), are likely to be an accurate predictor of consumer attitudes.

The paper shows that enjoyment was an important factor among the younger, socially aware and somewhat hedonistically‐oriented consumers of the magazine. Firms should track consumer preferences from registration and then should try to create activities that give consumers enjoyment. Linking together of marketing efforts is very important. Advertising can be a great opportunity to grow online operations. Search engines and the use of incentives (prizes) can be useful in this regard. Firms should also advertise their web site through the offline channel or any places that can reach target consumers. A good mix of offline and online advertising can present a message and reinforce it for consumers in different channels.

This paper contributes towards understanding consumer behaviour in the online channel use context in a multi‐channel environment.