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The advent of digitalization and the trend of social distancing coincide with the individualized lifestyle that is emerging among contemporary shoppers. This study explores the unique market of “smart solo shoppers”. Two empirical studies are conducted, which aim to identify the major dimensions of multi-channel shopping activities that are engaged by the shoppers (Study 1, n = 64) and to differentiate the shoppers' valuation of time invested in the distinct dimensions under different cultural influences (Study 2, n = 519).

A survey questionnaire is used for data collection, and data are analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Results reveal that the shopping activities converge into four principal dimensions: offline shopping, online shopping, post-shopping delivery and product return activities. Shoppers who perceive offline shopping activities as a time burden and online shopping and delivery activities as venues of value creation are more strongly self-identified as smart solo shoppers. Furthermore, smart solo shoppers who are under a strong influence of individualistic culture are found to spend time on multi-channel shopping to make the right purchase the first time, whereas shoppers perceiving being in a weak individualistic culture prefer to engage online channels while being prepared to return the unwanted purchases.

This study highlights an emerging research field in the nexus of solo consumption and smart shopping. Emphasizing the utility-driven and ego-expressive nature of smart solo shoppers, the authors provide an initial profile of these shoppers based on their time-valuation patterns and the contextual impacts of individualistic culture.

Despite the increasing relevance of seamless shopping experience in an omnichannel context, research on how seamless shopping experience affects customers’ word of mouth on social media (sWOM) remains scant. Based on the attribution theory, this study aims to investigate the effects of seamless shopping experience types on customers’ sWOM intentions from the perspective of smart-shopping feelings and validated the moderation role of shopping orientation.

Using a data set of 301 omnichannel customers, three scenario-based experiments were conducted to address the research questions.

An efficient and interconnected experience is more likely to positively affect sWOM intentions than an inefficient but interconnected experience. Furthermore, smart-shopping feelings were found to have a significant mediating effect. For experiential-oriented shoppers, the positive relationship between an efficient and interconnected experience, smart-shopping feelings and sWOM intentions was significantly strengthened.

This research contributes to the sWOM and omnichannel service experience literature by investigating the influences of seamless shopping experience types on customers’ sWOM intentions. This research also provides recommendations for designing and delivering a superior, seamless shopping experience for omnichannel shoppers.

Numerous companies have launched brand pages (BPs) on social networking sites to enhance customer-brand communication, cultivate the customer-brand relationship and promote brand loyalty. This study aims to investigate how BP affordances support social commerce.

The study devises a theoretical model linking the proposed BP affordances (visibility, selectivity, persistence and interactivity) to three customer values (relationship quality, brand experience and smart shopping feeling [SSF]) to encourage brand loyalty and BP endorsement on the part of the customer.

Data collected from 591 respondents support all proposed hypotheses. The model explains high variances in brand loyalty and BP endorsement, indicating that relationship quality plays a more salient role in producing brand loyalty, while SSF plays a more important role in eliciting BP endorsement.

The study is unique in four ways. First, drawing on the lens of affordance, it proposes specific affordances for BPs and offers empirical results for their applicability. Second, by incorporating CDL into the research model, it illuminates the high explanatory power of these proposed BP affordances on the three customer values. Integrating the S-O-R model with the affordance perspective and CDL provides a more complete picture of the BP phenomenon. Third, it extends the reach of existing work by examining BP endorsement in social media as a dependent variable beyond brand loyalty, with SSF included as another source of values to shed more light on the relationships depicted in the model. Fourth, by taking trait competitiveness into account, it sheds further light on relationships between customer values and BP endorsement.

The purpose of this study is to gain a better conceptualization and measurement of smart shopping. The specific objectives are to: investigate consumers' perceptions of the term smart shopping; develop a measure of smart shopping; and validate the measure of smart shopping.

The research includes a comprehensive literature review, focus group interviews, and in‐depth interviews for initial item generation and instrument development. Scale development consists of a pilot test (n=100), a pretest (n=237), and main study (n=1,474).

The findings indicate that smart shopping includes consumers seeking to minimize the expenditure of time, money, or energy to gain hedonic or utilitarian value from the experience.

In‐store shopping was examined based on shopping for clothing, grocery, or electronics; therefore caution must be used when applying the smart shopping scale to other shopping contexts or product categories.

Gaining a better understanding of the smart shopper will enable retailers to more accurately target this consumer group. Focus could be placed on saving time or saving energy in addition to the traditional emphasis on saving money. Retailers could also provide a combination of utilitarian and hedonic experiences for consumers.

This study conceptualizes and tests the term smart shopping from a broader perspective than previous studies that primarily focused on monetary savings in the grocery shopping context. Smart shopping includes the desire for efficient shopping but emphases on the components of an efficient trip may differ from traditional theories.

The purpose of the paper is to identify the psychographics of comparison shoppers. How do comparison shoppers differ from their counterparts? This question has remained unaddressed in extant literature.

Two separate surveys of convenience samples of consumers were used to identify comparison shoppers and non-comparison shoppers and their profiles.

Comparisons shoppers enjoyed shopping more and were on a tight budget. They also saw themselves as smart shoppers compared to their counterparts. However, non-comparison shoppers did not lack in buying gratification, decision confidence or satisfaction with their choices. Both groups were also at par on achievement orientation, optimism, spirited living and happiness.

Findings of differences are important: comparison shoppers do not find the shopping task stressful, instead they enjoy shopping more. The findings of no difference are even more important: the act of engaging in comparison shopping did not, in and of itself, heighten (nor lessen) the decision confidence, consumption pleasure, optimism or happiness.

Given that comparison shoppers are just as optimists and achievement oriented, their self-esteem is likely just as high, and, as such, they would expect to be treated with respect. Thus, even low-service, value-priced stores need to make shopping hassle free, pleasant and respectful.

Comparison shopping has not been studied before as a focal construct. The present paper contributes by identifying important psychographic traits of comparison shoppers, both those that separate them from their counterparts and those that unite them.

Grounded on the concept of a value trade-off, the authors of this study seek to address the question of why some people visit an offline store before purchasing online. The authors offer a novel perspective by identifying and describing the perceived value drivers (benefits and sacrifices) associated with showrooming in the context of the branded apparel segment.

Data collected from 318 showrooming customers were analysed in the context of the proposed perceived value framework using the structural equation modelling method.

The results showed that enhanced product evaluation, monetary savings, smart shopper feelings and perceived enjoyment (positively) and search costs and online risk (negatively) influenced consumers' showrooming value perceptions as benefits and sacrifices associated with showrooming. Only perceived consumption delay emerged as insignificant. As expected, perceived showrooming value was identified as an important driver of showrooming intentions.

The application of this paper's findings is limited to the branded apparel segment. The model can be tested in other sectors with a larger sample size to gain deeper insights.

The findings can be utilized by brick-and-mortar retailers to retain showrooming customers.

The authors of the current research work contribute to a better understanding of showrooming by adopting a perceived-value-based perspective, which offers an alternative yet effective route for understanding showrooming.

This paper aims to understand the impact of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence on impulse buying behaviour of Indian shoppers specifically in fashion retail outlets.

The empirical study on the effect of artificial intelligence on impulse purchase decisions was conducted through an e-survey of the Indian shoppers. The data collected was analysed using factor analysis and multiple regression analysis.

The impact of modern technologies which are used by the retailers to enhance sale and consumer engagement was studied. The relationship between use of artificial intelligence parameters such as the purchase duration, recommended products, product information and human interaction and its impact on Impulse Purchase was studied and the results revealed that all these factors except product information had a significant impact on the impulse purchase decision of the buyer.

This study will be useful to the fashion retailers to gauge the effect of incorporating artificial intelligence and its impact on driving sales by attracting shoppers to their outlets.

This study specifically focusses on the impact of modern technologies on impulse purchase of Indian shoppers in fashion retail outlets. Other research works have focussed on impact of visual merchandising, store layouts, store environment and promotional activities on impulse purchases. This is one of the few studies which deals with the impact of artificial intelligence on impulse buying behaviour of Indian shoppers specifically in the fashion retail segment.

This purpose of this paper is to extend the model of goal-directed behaviour by including the potential benefits of webrooming and descriptive norms to scrutinise the consumer's rationale and intent behind webrooming.

A survey instrument was employed to collect the data. A total of 324 usable responses were obtained, and the structural equation modelling technique was used for analysis.

The results of the study revealed that consumers utilised the information collected online to strike better deals offline. Also, webrooming not only stimulated smart shopper feelings amongst shoppers but also assisted them in avoiding certain risks associated with shopping online. Besides, support was also garnered for informative and possession benefits linked with webrooming. The findings demonstrated the positive impact of attitude, anticipated emotions and perceived behavioural control on desire, which in turn positively determined the intentions. Significant mediation impact was also observed between attitude and intentions via desire. However, past behaviour was evidenced to impact only intentions. Surprisingly, descriptive norms emerged as a stronger predictor of consumers' desire as opposed to subjective norms, which was found to be insignificant.

Information search and switching costs associated with webrooming have not been considered in this study. A larger sample size would help draw broader generalisations.

While online retailers can utilise the findings of the study to convert webrooming shoppers into buyers, alternatively, offline stores can use the key insights to retain webroomers. Additionally, educators can use the findings of the study to teach the students about the changing retailing dynamics.

The present study emerges as the first one to incorporate cognitive, affective and habitual factors collectively for a better understanding of the webrooming phenomenon.

This study aims to identify consumer segments among luxe-bargain shoppers using a fuzzy clustering method based on psychographic variables related to both luxury consumption and bargain processes and profiles the identified segments in behavioral tendencies.

The sample consists of 500 consumers who purchased a luxury brand at a bargain. The analyses involve running a confirmatory factor analysis, a fuzzy clustering analysis based on psychographic variables, and ANOVA for profiling the segments.

A fuzzy clustering analysis identifies four distinct segments: deal hunters, sale-prone shoppers, active luxe-bargain shoppers, and royal shoppers. Each consumer segment exhibits differences in consumer characteristics, demographics, and behavioral tendencies. The study provides insight into varied luxury consumers.

In an effort to fill the gap between traditional framework in luxury research and today ' s luxury market that provides accessibility of luxury items at lower price points to mass consumers, this study introduces a new concept of “luxe-bargain shopper” and examines varied luxury good consumers in the bargain shopping context. However, the findings of the current study should be interpreted with caution due to sampling method, product category of luxury brands, the limited number of luxury brands used in the study.

The results provide marketing suggestions for each segment of luxe-bargain shoppers.

There is virtually no luxury study conducted in the context of bargain shopping. By examining luxe-bargain shoppers using a robust fuzzy clustering method, this study extends our knowledge of luxury consumption as well as provides a new perspective to segmentation research.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationships between the different phases of the store brand (SB) evaluative process (i.e. attitude, preference and purchase intention) in an international context and to investigate how each of them is influenced by selected perceptual characteristics of consumers, psychographic consumer traits and product evaluative criteria.

The data were obtained from a survey of 1,118 shoppers from six different countries. Consecutive chained multiple and logistic regression models that incorporated the main antecedents into each stage were applied.

The main results are as follows: first, quality inferences based on brand image and reputation have a significant positive effect on SB attitude; second, shoppers’ propensity to explore and their risk perceptions are antecedents of SB preference rather than SB attitude; and finally, impulsiveness has a significant positive impact on SB purchase intention.

The results can assist retailers in developing strategies according to the specific phase of their customers’ evaluative process: promoting expert recommendations and opinion-leader testimonials in the attitude formation stage, investing in innovation in the preference formation stage and improving the overall shopping experience in the purchase intention stage.

This paper extends research on the consumer decision-making process by empirically demonstrating that SB preference is a mediating variable between SB attitude and SB purchase intention. From a practical perspective, this work involves an extensive empirical study that aggregates data from shoppers across six Western countries. This multinational sample offers a high degree of external validity and generalisation of the results obtained.