Mobile dependency and uncertainty reduction: influence on showrooming behaviours and user-generated content creation

Abstract

Purpose The expanded use of mobile devices for shopping has made mobile showrooming a frequent practice among omnichannel shoppers. This paper aims to shed light on the role of mobile dependency and uncertainty reduction strategies together with the motivation of getting the best value for money in showrooming behaviours and user-generated content (UGC) creation.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by means of a questionnaire answered by 659 shoppers in two product categories: clothing and consumer electronics. The research model was tested through partial least squares.Findings The results suggest that mobile showrooming attitude is positively affected by mobile dependency, value consciousness and need for touch, and negatively by perceived risk of mobile shopping. The results also reveal how UGC is created by showroomers and suggest this behaviour is linked to mobile dependency in the clothing category.Research limitations/implications All the individuals in the sample had some experience in showrooming, which could affect the results regarding showrooming attitude and intentions. Future research should consider the role of experience and also validate the results across a larger number of product categories.Practical implications Mobile showrooming is a challenge for multichannel retailers. This paper reveals certain ways in which multichannel retailers could deal with showroomers as potential customers.Originality/value This study is the first to analyse the role of mobile dependency in showrooming and the chain of effects towards mobile showrooming attitude, behaviour and UGC creation in two different product categories.

Showrooming: a retrospective and prospective review using the SPAR-4-SLR methodological framework

“…As observed, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Guo et al ., 2021; Jo et al ., 2021; Khoshtaria et al ., 2021; Shakir Goraya et al ., 2020), push-pull-mooring framework (PPM) (Frasquet and Miquel-Romero, 2021; Kim and Park, 2019; Li et al ., 2018, Arora et al ., 2017, Chang et al ., 2017) and theory of reasoned action (TRA) (Chimborazo-Azogue et al. , 2022; Guo et al ., 2021; Schneider and Zielke, 2020a; Fernández et al ., 2018) have frequently been utilised in extant research to explain the showrooming phenomenon.…”

Developing trends in showrooming, webrooming, and omnichannel shopping behaviors: Performance analysis, conceptual mapping, and future directions

“…Decision-making style was found to influence multichannel shopping behavior (Harris et al, 2021), while the role of pricing in combating showrooming behavior was examined in another (Chai et al, 2021). Other studies examined the drivers of showrooming behavior (Arora et al, 2022), including the influence of product attributes (Guo et al, 2021), online engagement (Shankar, Yadav, et al, 2021), and mobile dependency (Chimborazo-Azogue et al, 2022). Location-based retail apps and their effect on perceived value and consumer response were also investigated (Kim, 2021).…”

Does cross-channel consistency always create brand loyalty in omni-channel retailing?

“…Hence, consumers seeking the lowest price for their desired product are more inclined to engage in showrooming, whereas those prioritizing convenience and product verification tend to adopt webrooming (Aw et al, 2021;Chung et al, 2021). Alongside the prevalence of showrooming and webrooming, scholars have explored their drivers from an economic perspective (Arora et al, 2021(Arora et al, , 2022Aw, 2019;Chimborazo-Azogue et al, 2022;Gensler et al, 2017;Kang, 2018). For instance, Kang (2018) discovered that information attainment and social interaction influenced showrooming and webrooming, while price comparison and assessment seeking only affected showrooming and webrooming, respectively.…”

“…Consequently, in their goal thriving phase, they are more inclined to choose and trust brands offering them more online benefits. Otherwise, they may evaluate a product at a brand's physical store and then purchase a comparable product at other brands' online store (Chimborazo-Azogue et al, 2022;Fassnacht et al, 2019). In addition, Brand loyalty in omnichannel retailing because showroomers are accustomed to such shopping patterns, they are more receptive to a situation where a brand does not synchronize its online and offline offerings (Fern andez et al, 2018;Rapp et al, 2015).…”