Differences between webrooming and showrooming in terms of selected consumer perception factor

In order to find out whether customers perceive (any) differences between the types of shopping channels (webrooming or showrooming) when it comes to buying clothes and footwear (given the selected factors), the study used the theoretical framework of the Technology Acceptance Model, the theory of Exploratory Consumer Behavior, and other factors (perceived risk, need for touch and feel, and price perception). The study is based on answers of 208 Slovak consumers (elicited on the basis of a questionnaire). By applying a non-parametric test of differences - the Wilcoxon test of two independent samples (Mann-Whitney U test), the study arrived at a conclusion that the differences between shopping channels are not significant when it comes to technology acceptance determinants (TAM determinants). From the point of view of exploratory behavior, the exploratory information seeking dimension turned out to be insignificant. However, the research showed that webroomers prefer exploratory acquisition. The differences between the purchasing channels in terms of other analysed factors also proved to be significant. In all cases, higher tendencies were identified for webrooming. The paper upholds the idea of integrating purchase channels and highlights the need to track the purchase journey of customers who interact with businesses through many different channels and touchpoints, both online and offline. The paper will serve marketers, as a better understanding of the purchasing behavior of customers will help businesses set up more relevant marketing and business strategies, and thus improve their market position. Towards the end, the paper presents business recommendations and suggest possibilities for further research.