Multi-Channel Strategies: Capturing and Exploring Diversity in the European Retail Grocery Industry

Drivers and Technology-Related Obstacles in Moving to Multichannel Retailing

“…These findings then are in line with Müller-Lankenau et al's. [35] study which found diversity in the way retailers approached multichannel retailing but this study "opens the proverbial black box -the company -and studies it from within" and so builds on Müller-Lankenau et al's. [35] research to further understand retailer motives related to multichannel retailing.…”

“…In part, because channel integration entailed retailers communicating and leveraging the brand consistently across all channels [38], and this involved complex and challenging alterations to legacy IT and logistics systems. Retailers also needed to permit customers buying a product from one channel and collecting it, or returning it, in another [35]. Yet, using 'click and collect' meant further changes to existing IT and logistics systems and this was problematic given retailers had few staff with the necessary skill-set to make these modifications.…”

“…Initial claims the Internet would replace physical stores have proved unfounded and instead a more viable model has emerged, which is the use of the Internet as part of a multichannel retail strategy [35]. A further motive behind retailers using multichannel operations is changing shopper behaviour.…”

Structure, people and process challenges of multichannel marketing: Insights from marketers

“…8 Web applications and wireless devices are the main technologies behind the growth of multichannel marketing. 9 Customers see benefi ts of new marketing channels in terms of greater convenience, 10 while Rangaswamy and Van Bruggen 9 suggest that multichannel marketing appeals to customers, as it allows them to be contacted by channels they prefer at the time and on the day of their choice. The addition of these new channels to traditional channels such as telephone, catalogues, ' bricks and mortar ' shop fronts and sales force requires a manager to blend channels into an appropriate channel mix.…”

“…Multichannel customers spend more money than single channel customers 1,7 ; buy more products than single channel customers 11 ; and are more loyal than single channel customers. 10 This makes it important for marketers to understand how to encourage multiple products and multiple channel links between customer and company. Other benefi ts of multichannel marketing include being able to offer a number of service tiers, where the service price is matched with service level, 8 aiding segmentation strategy and allowing profi t maximisation with various price points being offered.…”