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Showrooming and retail opportunities: A qualitative investigation via a consumer-experience lens

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  • Kokho Sit, Jason
  • Hoang, Anna
  • Inversini, Alessandro

Abstract

Showrooming represents a shopper behaviour prevalent in today's retail landscape, referring to consumers inspecting a desired product at a retailer's physical store and then buying it online, usually from a competitor. Showrooming has been examined frequently from a negative standpoint (e.g. free-riding and channel-hopping), via the theoretical lens of multichannel shopping and using a quantitative (theory-testing) approach. The present study seeks to investigate showrooming from a positive standpoint and help retailers to diagnose and appreciate potential opportunities that may be presented by this shopper behaviour. Our investigation is guided by the theoretical lens of consumer experience and a qualitative (theory-building) approach, based on convergent interviews with eleven self-proclaimed showroomers and the shopping context of consumer electronics. The present study contributes to retail theory and practice by illustrating that showrooming can be conceived and managed as a positive shopper behaviour. Its potential opportunities can be better appreciated when retailers consider fully its experiential aspects, such as decision activities and emotions.

Suggested Citation

  • Kokho Sit, Jason & Hoang, Anna & Inversini, Alessandro, 2018. "Showrooming and retail opportunities: A qualitative investigation via a consumer-experience lens," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 163-174.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:40:y:2018:i:c:p:163-174
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.10.004
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    Cited by:

    1. Heitz-Spahn, Sandrine & Belaud, Lydie & Ferrandi, Jean-Marc, 2024. "A regulatory focus theory approach to understanding cross-channel free-riding behaviour," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Subrata Mitra, 2022. "Economic models of price competition between traditional and online retailing under showrooming," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 49(1), pages 29-63, March.
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    9. Luis-Edwin Chimborazo-Azogue & Marta Frasquet & Alejandro Molla-Descals & Maria-Jose Miquel-Romero, 2021. "Understanding Mobile Showrooming Based on a Technology Acceptance and Use Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-17, June.
    10. Paula Rodríguez–Torrico & Sonia San–Martín & Rebeca San José Cabezudo, 2020. "Consumer behavior using multiple channels: a review," DOCFRADIS Working Papers 2002, Catedra Fundación Ramón Areces de Distribución Comercial, revised Jul 2020.
    11. Frasquet, Marta & Miquel-Romero, Maria-Jose, 2021. "Competitive (versus loyal) showrooming: An application of the push-pull-mooring framework," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    12. Fiestas, Jorge Carlos & Tuzovic, Sven, 2021. "Mobile-assisted showroomers: Understanding their purchase journey and personalities," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    13. Schneider, Patricia J. & Zielke, Stephan, 2021. "Price versus service: Can retailers beat showrooming with competence?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    14. María Alesanco-Llorente & Eva Reinares-Lara & Jorge Pelegrín-Borondo & Cristina Olarte-Pascual, 2023. "The mobile-assisted showroomer’s dilemma: where to buy? Actions to prevent sales leakage," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    15. Mingming Shi & Jun Zhou & Zhou Jiang, 2019. "Consumer heterogeneity and online vs. offline retail spatial competition," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, December.
    16. Wang, Chong & Wang, Yanqing & Wang, Jixiao & Xiao, Jiuling & Liu, Jian, 2021. "Factors influencing consumers' purchase decision-making in O2O business model: Evidence from consumers' overall evaluation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    17. Wei, Yunyi & Sit, Kokho (Jason) & Ekinci, Yuksel, 2024. "Customer definitions of moral value for retail brands: A qualitative understanding," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    18. Alesanco-Llorente, María & Reinares-Lara, Eva & Pelegrín-Borondo, Jorge & Olarte-Pascual, Cristina, 2023. "Mobile-assisted showrooming behavior and the (r)evolution of retail: The moderating effect of gender on the adoption of mobile augmented reality," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    19. Molinillo, Sebastian & Navarro-García, Antonio & Anaya-Sánchez, Rafael & Japutra, Arnold, 2020. "The impact of affective and cognitive app experiences on loyalty towards retailers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    20. Sarah Zafar & Saeed Badghish & Rana Muhammad Shahid Yaqub & Muhammad Zafar Yaqub, 2023. "The Agency of Consumer Value and Behavioral Reasoning Patterns in Shaping Webrooming Behaviors in Omnichannel Retail Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-21, October.
    21. José Oliveira & António Azevedo & João J. Ferreira & Sofia Gomes & João M. Lopes, 2021. "An insight on B2B Firms in the Age of Digitalization and Paperless Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, October.
    22. Agrawal, Shiv Ratan & Mittal, Divya, 2022. "Optimizing customer engagement content strategy in retail and E-tail: Available on online product review videos," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    23. Wang, Jixiao & Wang, Chong, 2024. "Understanding shoppers’ cross-channel analysis of influencing factors of online and offline channels: Evidence from clothing product," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    24. Mitxel Cotarelo & Teresa Fayos & Haydeé Calderón & Alejandro Mollá, 2021. "Omni-Channel Intensity and Shopping Value as Key Drivers of Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-17, May.
    25. Flavián, Carlos & Gurrea, Raquel & Orús, Carlos, 2020. "Combining channels to make smart purchases: The role of webrooming and showrooming," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).

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