Tell me what they are like and I will tell you where they buy. An analysis of omnichannel consumer behavior

Abstract

In the past, consumers used to go to brick-and-mortar stores to gather information and often concluded their shopping there, with the physical store probably being one of their few sources of product information. Nowadays, with the arrival of digital devices, the number of sources of information has grown. Consumers tend to combine these with brick-and-mortar establishments both to search and buy, leading to the emergence of omnichannel behavior. In this context, there is a lack of research which considers online and mobile devices separately. The aim of the present study is to analyze how two individual traits –impulsiveness and need for touch– influence the use of each device in the omnichannel decision-making process. Results from a sample of 284 real digital (online and/or mobile) shoppers of clothes confirm that personal traits influence omnichannel consumer behavior. Results show that impulsive shoppers make greater use of mobile devices whereas individuals with high need for touch are more predisposed to use online devices in their omnichannel process. Besides, the effect of individual demographics is taken into account. Finally, we discuss the paper's contributions and outline the actions which managers can engage in so as to succeed in omnichannel retail.