IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ijmark/v2021y2021i1d10.1007_s43039-021-00021-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multichannel search patterns and webrooming behaviours in the service industries: the case of motor insurance

Author

Listed:
  • Tun-I Hu

    (University of Trieste)

  • Andrea Tracogna

    (University of Trieste)

Abstract

This article aims at analysing the empirical categories and the main determinants of channel choices in the contractualized individual services category, with particular reference to multichannel search patterns and webrooming behaviours, whereby customers search online but purchase offline (namely, at the service provider’s premises). Based on an international survey of motor insurance customers, a set of hypotheses on the determinants of customers’ shopping journeys, inclusive of search and purchase channel decisions, have been tested with a multinomial logistic regression. Our results show that channel choices—both relative to search and to purchase—are significantly influenced by the customer’s preference for personal interaction (which typically favours the personal, offline, channels); overall, the relevance of channel choice determinants differs in the different shopping phases: indeed, while the search patterns (mono vs. multiple; digital vs. personal) are mainly determined by the customer need for information and by her/his preference for shopping innovation and enjoyment, the purchase channel choices are mainly driven by the customer’s preference for service quality (personal purchase) and by his/her price consciousness (digital purchase). In particular, webrooming behaviours occur when a less price-conscious customer, after having actively explored multiple channels to satisfy the appetite for information, eventually prefers to purchase the service at the provider’s physical store (i.e. the insurance agent) to satisfy his/her preference for personal interaction and service quality. These results shed light on multichannel behaviours in service industries and may help providers better inform the retail strategies of contractualized individual services.

Suggested Citation

  • Tun-I Hu & Andrea Tracogna, 2021. "Multichannel search patterns and webrooming behaviours in the service industries: the case of motor insurance," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2021(1), pages 57-81, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijmark:v:2021:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s43039-021-00021-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s43039-021-00021-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43039-021-00021-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43039-021-00021-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yurova, Yuliya & Rippé, Cindy B. & Weisfeld-Spolter, Suri & Sussan, Fiona & Arndt, Aaron, 2017. "Not all adaptive selling to omni-consumers is influential: The moderating effect of product type," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 271-277.
    2. Schröder, Hendrik & Zaharia, Silvia, 2008. "Linking multi-channel customer behavior with shopping motives: An empirical investigation of a German retailer," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 452-468.
    3. Verhoef, Peter C. & Kannan, P.K. & Inman, J. Jeffrey, 2015. "From Multi-Channel Retailing to Omni-Channel Retailing," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 174-181.
    4. Anonymous, 2014. "Introduction to the Issue," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(1), pages 1-2, May.
    5. Barwitz, Niklas & Maas, Peter, 2018. "Understanding the Omnichannel Customer Journey: Determinants of Interaction Choice," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 116-133.
    6. Midgley, David F & Dowling, Grahame R, 1978. "Innovativeness: The Concept and Its Measurement," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 4(4), pages 229-242, March.
    7. Chou, Szu-Yu & Shen, George C. & Chiu, Hung-Chang & Chou, Yu-Tsun, 2016. "Multichannel service providers' strategy: Understanding customers' switching and free-riding behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2226-2232.
    8. Pauwels, Koen & Leeflang, Peter S.H. & Teerling, Marije L. & Huizingh, K.R. Eelko, 2011. "Does Online Information Drive Offline Revenues?," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 1-17.
    9. Weinberg, Bruce D. & Parise, Salvatore & Guinan, Patricia J., 2007. "Multichannel marketing: Mindset and program development," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 50(5), pages 385-394.
    10. Zhang, Jie & Farris, Paul W. & Irvin, John W. & Kushwaha, Tarun & Steenburgh, Thomas J. & Weitz, Barton A., 2010. "Crafting Integrated Multichannel Retailing Strategies," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 168-180.
    11. Anonymous, 2014. "Introduction to the Issue," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 109-110, August.
    12. Liu, Huan & Lobschat, Lara & Verhoef, Peter C., 2018. "Multichannel Retailing: A Review and Research Agenda," Foundations and Trends(R) in Marketing, now publishers, vol. 12(1), pages 1-79, December.
    13. Beck, Norbert & Rygl, David, 2015. "Categorization of multiple channel retailing in Multi-, Cross-, and Omni†Channel Retailing for retailers and retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 170-178.
    14. Konuş, Umut & Verhoef, Peter C. & Neslin, Scott A., 2008. "Multichannel Shopper Segments and Their Covariates," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 84(4), pages 398-413.
    15. Gensler, Sonja & Leeflang, Peter & Skiera, Bernd, 2012. "Impact of online channel use on customer revenues and costs to serve: Considering product portfolios and self-selection," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 192-201.
    16. Christian Homburg & Danijel Jozić & Christina Kuehnl, 2017. "Customer experience management: toward implementing an evolving marketing concept," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 377-401, May.
    17. Flavián, Carlos & Gurrea, Raquel & Orús, Carlos, 2019. "Feeling Confident and Smart with Webrooming: Understanding the Consumer's Path to Satisfaction," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-15.
    18. 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).
    19. Hu, Tun-I & Tracogna, Andrea, 2020. "Multichannel customer journeys and their determinants: Evidence from motor insurance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michela C. Mason & Francesco Massara & Francesco Raggiotto, 2022. "An analysis of the relationships between human, technological and physical factors in the retail banking sector," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2022(2), pages 249-266, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hu, Tun-I & Tracogna, Andrea, 2020. "Multichannel customer journeys and their determinants: Evidence from motor insurance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    2. Kim, Sehoon & Connerton, Timothy Paul & Park, Cheongyeul, 2022. "Transforming the automotive retail: Drivers for customers' omnichannel BOPS (Buy Online & Pick up in Store) behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 411-425.
    3. Tueanrat, Yanika & Papagiannidis, Savvas & Alamanos, Eleftherios, 2021. "A conceptual framework of the antecedents of customer journey satisfaction in omnichannel retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    4. Cai, Ya-Jun & Lo, Chris K.Y., 2020. "Omni-channel management in the new retailing era: A systematic review and future research agenda," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    5. 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.
    6. Chang, Ya Ping & Li, Jingwen, 2022. "Seamless experience in the context of omnichannel shopping: scale development and empirical validation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. Mirzabeiki, Vahid & Saghiri, Soroosh Sam, 2020. "From ambition to action: How to achieve integration in omni-channel?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 1-11.
    8. Li, Xi & Dahana, Wirawan Dony & Li, Tongmao & Yuan, Jingbo, 2021. "Behavioral changes of multichannel customers: Their persistence and influencing factors," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    9. Kondo, Fumiyo N. & Okubo, Taishi, 2022. "Understanding multi-channel consumer behavior: A comparison between segmentations of multi-channel purchases by product category and overall products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. von Briel, Frederik, 2018. "The future of omnichannel retail: A four-stage Delphi study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 217-229.
    11. Saghiri, Soroosh & Wilding, Richard & Mena, Carlos & Bourlakis, Michael, 2017. "Toward a three-dimensional framework for omni-channel," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 53-67.
    12. Jebarajakirthy, Charles & Das, Manish & Shah, Dhara & Shankar, Amit, 2021. "Deciphering in-store-online switching in multi-channel retailing context: Role of affective commitment to purchase situation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    13. Julián Chaparro-Peláez & Emiliano Acquila-Natale & Ángel Hernández-García & Santiago Iglesias-Pradas, 2020. "The Digital Transformation of the Retail Electricity Market in Spain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-18, April.
    14. 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.
    15. Kim, Jikyung (Jeanne) & Song, Hyeasinn & Choi, Jeonghye & Kim, Yongseob & Hong, Jeonghan, 2021. "Channel stickiness in the shopping journey for electronics: Evidence from China and South Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 506-516.
    16. Vaishnav, Bharat & Ray, Sourav, 2023. "A thematic exploration of the evolution of research in multichannel marketing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    17. Mencarelli, Rémi & Rivière, Arnaud & Lombart, Cindy, 2021. "Do myriad e-channels always create value for customers? A dynamic analysis of the perceived value of a digital information product during the usage phase," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    18. Pekovic, Sanja & Rolland, Sylvie, 2020. "Recipes for achieving customer loyalty: A qualitative comparative analysis of the dimensions of customer experience," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    19. Hallikainen, Heli & Alamäki, Ari & Laukkanen, Tommi, 2019. "Individual preferences of digital touchpoints: A latent class analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 386-393.
    20. Gaetano Aiello, 2017. "Products moving along channels, consumers cross channels," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(1), pages 7-11.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ijmark:v:2021:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s43039-021-00021-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.