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This research aims to identify whether subsequent consciousness of having been in a flow state – that is, flow consciousness – regarding an earlier impulse purchase affects consumers' post–purchase behaviours, specifically their feelings of consumer regret.

The study applied a mixed methodology. First, the authors conducted two qualitative studies (focus groups) to establish the relationships between flow, flow consciousness and regret. Second, the authors conducted a quantitative study using data collected through an online questionnaire. Participants were asked to recall a recent shopping experience. To conduct confirmatory factor analysis, the authors gathered data from 304 consumers who had searched for, and purchased, a product on Amazon (www.amazon.com). Structural equation modelling, based on covariance, was used to test the hypotheses.

Flow consciousness is found to reduce consumer regret after an impulse purchase.

Online retailers should make consumers aware of the flow state they have experienced. Flow states lead to increased impulse buying, and if consumers are made aware that they were in a flow state, it may reduce any regret they feel after the purchase.

This is the first study to examine the effects of flow consciousness on consumer behaviour after an impulse purchase. In particular, research has not analysed the effects that flow consciousness has on negative feelings experienced after the impulse purchase of a product.

The purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of mobile word of mouth (m-WOM), received at the physical store, which “challenges” the consumer's preferences in a webrooming experience. The impacts of the social relationship between the sender and the receiver of the m-WOM and product category (electronics versus fashion accessories) are examined.

An online experiment was carried out which manipulated the presence and type of challenging m-WOM, and product category, in a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design. The participants were 204 consumers recruited through a market research agency. Their perceptions about the helpfulness of the m-WOM, and their product preferences and choices, were analysed.

Receiving in-store m-WOM was perceived as helpful by webroomers and affected their preferences and choices. For electronics online reviews posted by anonymous customers were more influential than friends' opinions, whereas the opposite was the case with fashion accessories. The trustworthiness and expertise of the m-WOM source may explain the effects of m-WOM.

m-WOM entails challenges and opportunities for retailers in the omnichannel era. The findings suggest that allowing customers to access m-WOM may be beneficial; however, retailers must consider the type of m-WOM that may be most suitable for their businesses. Recommendations for referral and review sites are also offered.

This study examines the impact of challenging m-WOM on shopping experiences, combining online, mobile and physical channels. The results revealed the importance of the information source and product category in the determination of consumers' perceptions of helpfulness, preferences and choice.

This purpose of this paper is to analyze how consumers’ online recommendations affect the omnichannel webrooming experience based on the internet, physical and mobile channels.

Two experimental studies are implemented. Study 1 analyzes the impact of an online review on the physical interaction with the product. Study 2 modifies the moment of receiving the online recommendation and its social tie.

Webrooming improves the shopping experience. Online recommendations from anonymous customers increase confidence in the product’s adequacy, although this effect depends on the moment of receiving the recommendation and the level of confidence before interacting physically with the product. Friend recommendations reinforce preferences regardless of previous online experiences.

This research examines the effects of different types of online recommendations on offline shopping experiences, choice and confidence. Confidence is stressed as a key variable in omnichannel behavior.

The findings offer practical value for electronic word-of-mouth marketing, omnichannel marketing, as well as online and physical channel management.

This is one of the first studies that examine the impact of online consumer recommendations on shopping experiences combining online, mobile and physical channels. The results reveal the importance of recommendations’ source and moment of reception for determining consumers’ preferences, choice and confidence.

La presente investigación analiza cómo las recomendaciones online afectan a la experiencia webrooming omnicanal, basada en el canal físico, online, y móvil.

Se llevaron a cabo dos experimentos. El Estudio 1 analiza el impacto de una revisión online positiva en la interacción posterior con el producto. El Estudio 2 modifica el momento de recibir la recomendación y el vínculo social entre emisor y receptor.

El proceso webrooming mejora la experiencia de compra. Las recomendaciones online de clientes anónimos incrementan la auto-confianza sobre la adecuación del producto, aunque este efecto depende del momento de recibir la recomendación y del nivel de auto-confianza previo a la interacción física con el producto. Las recomendaciones de amigos refuerzan las preferencias, independientemente de la experiencia online previa.

Esta investigación examina los efectos de diferentes tipos de recomendaciones online en experiencias offline, le elección y la auto-confianza. La auto-confianza se revela como una variable clave del comportamiento omnicanal.

Los resultados ofrecen implicaciones para la gestión del marketing boca-oído y omnicanal, así como la gestión de la experiencia en el canal físico y el online.

Este es uno de los primeros estudios que analizan el impacto de recomendaciones online en experiencias de compra que combinan canales online, offline y móvil. Los resultados revelan que la importancia de la fuente y del momento de recibir la recomendación determinan las preferencias, elección, y auto-confianza de los consumidores.

Comercio minorista, Omnicanal, Webrooming, Auto-confianza, Boca-oído electrónico, Vínculo social

Trabajo de investigación

The purpose of this paper is explain how the advent of the internet not only affects the way in which newspapers work, but also has an impact on readers' behavior. This research seeks to identify the readers' motivations as the key determinants of the attitude towards digital newspapers, and to analyse their impact on that attitude.

Qualitative studies are necessary to identify the motivations and establish the hypotheses, and a survey is applied to a representative sample of users. The scales are validated and refined, after which the hypotheses are tested by way of a structural equation model.

The results confirm the existence of positive significant relationships between motivations related to the knowledge of current news, search for specific information and search for updated news, with the favourable attitude to digital newspapers. However, entertainment as a motivation for reading impacts negatively on the readers' attitude. Also, habit as a motivation is more and more positively associated with the attitude towards the digital press.

The main motivations that influence the attitude to the new electronic dailies should be considered by the management with the aim of differentiating the digital channel. Thus, it could be possible to calm some fears re the cannibalism between digital and traditional channels in the journalistic sector. Accordingly this research points out that the knowledge of readers' needs and motivations could be a starting‐point for developing marketing strategies.

The research is one of the first studies that analyses internet user behavior on the part of press readership and employs the uses and gratifications theory for the journalistic business.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main motivations that influence readers to read newspapers, and, to analyse their influence on the level of perceived substitutability between digital and traditional channels in the newspaper business.

First, qualitative studies were carried out which allowed reader motivations to be identified and the hypotheses to be established. Subsequently an online survey was applied to a representative sample of users. The scales were validated and refined, after which the hypotheses were tested by way of a structural equation model.

Results confirm that readers motivated by aspects related mainly to differential attributes of the internet versus traditional channels perceive them both as information conduits and not as substitutive products. Meanwhile, motivations that could be satisfied through both channels positively affect the level of perceived substitutability between digital and traditional newspapers. Nevertheless, readers prefer reading a newspaper in the physical medium, for entertainment.

This is one of the first studies that analyses reader behaviour on the part of the internet press readership. In this sense it provides a significant contribution because it studies reader goals from a global perspective and analyses the substitutability perceived by users. Also, the research presents some key managerial implications for multi‐channel distribution. In fact, the offer of the digital channel should provide substantially different features from that of the printed newspaper in such a way that the two products are differentiated and closely fit the preferences of different consumer groups.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze key factors that could influence the choice of digital newspapers: usability of newspaper web sites, reputation, trust, privacy and familiarity.

A survey on the Internet was applied. The scales were validated and refined, after which the hypotheses were tested by way of a structural equation model.

The results support an intense effect of usability and familiarity with web sites on the choice of electronic newspaper. However, reputation, privacy and trust in the web sites do not influence significantly the final choice of digital dailies. This is due to the readers who do not perceive risk and costs derived by choosing mistakes or giving data, because the change of news supplier is really fast and easy.

The main aspects which justify digital newspaper reading should be considered by the management in order to develop its use. Also, newspaper firms should make efforts to improve the levels of usability of their web sites. Moreover, digital dailies should develop strategies in order to ensure the loyalty of readers who could be familiarized with the new medium.

This is one of the first studies that analyze online press reader behavior on the Internet. The paper identifies the main factors related to web sites that affect reading newspapers on the Internet.

Web design has been identified as a key factor for the acceptance and success of the websites and electronic commerce. The purpose of this paper is to analyse, from a marketing point of view the main aspects that could influence online users' perceptions and behaviours, in order to achieve a successful e‐commerce website.

An extensive literature review was developed emphasising the special role that web design could play in the interaction user‐interface. Besides, the methodology related to benchmarking allows firms to know the best practices and to learn some key lessons for developing their businesses online.

The literature review affirms that web design is a key factor for getting positive outcomes as it influences on users and online consumers' perceptions and behaviours. A website design addressed to simplicity and freedom of navigation provides clear, timely and accurate information in all its contents and an appearance that calls for the users' attention.

The paper offers a Decalogue of guidelines that could improve the design of the e‐commerce websites regarding the aesthetic appearance of the website, the navigation through the site, the information and contents and the characteristics of the shopping process. It could be interesting to analyse empirically the impact of all key attributes on the users' perceptions and behaviours.

This is one of the first studies which explains how a website must be designed from the demand's perspective. The analysis of the users' perceptions and the marketing view of design could help designers to find the website that best matches their users' needs and so, to improve the relationships between users and companies through their interfaces.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the presence and type of product symbol on online users' information search behaviour. Adopting an information processing perspective, it gathers objective and self‐reported measures and investigates the relationships between them.

An experiment was conducted with a sample of 174 individuals. The presence of a symbol recommending the product or signalling its popularity within the website was manipulated. Participants' need for cognition was measured.

The presence of a product symbol positively influenced users' cognitive elaboration and perceptions of information diagnosticity. Significant differences of situational and individual characteristics, related to the type of symbol and the users' motivation to process information, were detected.

Dual information processing theories represent an adequate framework to analyse the ways in which online users perceive and process product symbols, and how they incorporate them into their diagnosticity perceptions. The presence and type of product symbols operate through different mechanisms depending on the user's need for cognition. Web designers should consider displaying these cues in online product presentations, given their potential to improve the quality of consumers' thoughts and diagnosticity perceptions.

This is one of the first studies which examines how product symbols affect online users' information processing and evaluations. The paper offers a complete view of online information search behaviour by gathering users' objective and self‐reported measures. In addition the paper stresses the importance of contextual variables related to the messages and individual's characteristics.

To analyze press reader behavior in the digital medium: identify the main goals that lead readers to read the press and analyze their influence on the choice of digital newspapers. Moreover, the research analyses the moderator effect of user experience.

First, qualitative studies were carried out which allow reader objectives to be identified and the hypotheses to be established. Subsequently a survey was applied to a representative sample of users. The scales were validated and refined, after which the hypotheses were tested by way of a structural equation model and a multi‐sample analysis.

The goals based on the search for specific information and for updated news have a positive effect on reading newspapers on the Internet. In contrast, there is no significant effect when reading is for entertainment. This last relationship has been found to be moderated by the user experience variable.

The main aspects which justify digital newspaper reading should be considered in order to increase its use. Similarly, attention is drawn to the probable evolution of reader behavior, which could depend on the level of user's experience with the Internet press.

This is one of the first studies that analyses reader behavior on the part of the Internet press readership. In this sense, it provides a significant contribution in that it sets out to identify patterns of behavior on the part of readers of digital newspapers, as well as to study reader goals from a global perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of different product presentation modes on consumers' perceptions of web site quality. Specifically the paper identifies the perceived degree of usability as the continent quality and the perceived quality of the information as the content quality of the web site.

An experiment was conducted with a sample of 86 individuals. Changes in the presentation of the information were made in terms of mode (paragraph or schema) and arrangement (list or grid).

Users perceived a higher degree of usability and a higher quality of information when the information was presented in a schematic way than when it was presented as a paragraph. However, no significant effects were found regarding the spatial arrangement of the products. Regarding the possible interaction effect, the combination of schematic information displayed in a list produced the greatest effects on users' perceptions.

Consumers show a greater preference for those web sites that provide them with efficient tools for acquiring information and forming knowledge about the alternatives available. Specifically, when products are displayed on the computer screen, designers should focus on presenting the information in a schematic way. Moreover, if this information is organised in a list or table where all the products can be assessed consecutively, the perceptions about the web site may be enhanced.

This is one of the first studies that explains the main factors that affect the perceived quality of a web site from the users' perspective. The analysis of the users' perceptions and the marketing viewpoint could help designers to create web sites that best match their users' information needs.