• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.67-93
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• 2006

Some consumers prefer online and others prefer offline. What makes them prefer online or offline? There has been a lack of theoretical development to adequately explain consumers' channel switching behavior between traditional physical stores and new virtual stores. Through consumers' purchase decision processes, this study examined the reasons why consumers changed channels depending on purchase process stages. Consumer's purchase decision process could be divided into three stages: pre-purchase stage, purchase stage, and post-purchase stage. We used the intention of channel selection as a surrogate dependent variable of channel selection. And some constructs, that is, channel function, channel benefits, customer relationship benefits, and perceived behavioral control, were selected as independent variables. In buying look-and-feel products, it was identified that consumers preferred virtual stores to physical stores at pre-purchase stage. To put it concretely, all constructs except channel benefits were more influenced to consumers at virtual stores. This result implied that information searching function, which is a main function at pre-purchase stage, was better supported by virtual stores than physical stores. In purchase stage, consumers preferred physical stores to virtual stores. Specially, all constructs influenced much more to consumers at physical stores. This result implied that although escrow service and trusted third parties were introduced, consumers felt that financial risk, performance risk, social risk, etc. still remained highly online. Finally, consumers did not prefer any channel at post-purchase stage. But three independent variables, i.e. channel function, channel benefits, and customer relationship benefits, were significantly preferred at physical stores rather than virtual stores at post-purchase stage. So we concluded that physical stores were a little more preferred to virtual stores at post-purchase stage. Through this study, it was identified that most consumers might switch channels according to purchase process stages. So, first of all, sales representatives should decide that what benefits should be given them through virtual stores at the pre-purchase stage and through physical stores at the purchase and post-purchase stages, and then devise collaborative channel strategies.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.656-674
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to reveal and compare the differences in the types and characteristics of purchase channel journeys of MZ generation consumers. In this study a survey was conducted on the purchase channel journey of 20 women in the MZ generation using the ethnographic method of in-depth interviews and observations. As a result, three purchase channel journeys were identified: mobile, multi-channel, and offline. These were variously subdivided according to the characteristics of the MZ generations. Gen Z's journey was categorized into types: fashion platform app, Youtube, multi-channel supplement, multi-channel non-planned store visit, offline loyalty store, and impulsive offline store. Gen M's journey was categorized as: an online community bond, portal site, online loyalty store, multi-channel brand involvement, multi-channel efficiency, a multi-channel conversion, offline efficiency and offline task. The difference in mobile journey between generations was found in the time and length of the purchase. Gen M recognized both online and offline search processes to be tiring, while Gen Z enjoyed the search process using the online path. In the offline journey Gen Z began with their own intention to purchase, while Gen M sometimes recognized that purchasing fashion products necessary for work was a cumbersome task.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.743-753
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• 2019

This study investigates differences in demographic characteristics, shopping orientation, perceived risk, and satisfaction after purchase among consumer types. This study classifies consumer types according to their channel transition behaviors between the online and offline channels with a focus on the steps of information research and buying decision in buying decision-making process. The four consumer groups are as follows: off-off type (offline research-offline purchase), on-on type (online research-online purchase), on-off type (online research-offline purchase) and on/off-off type (online and offline research-offline purchase), off-on type (offline research-online purchase) and on/off-on type (online and offline research-online purchase). Data were collected from adults over 20 years old who had bought clothes within one year. The questionnaire was carried out from July, 2019 using a professional internet research panel; in addition, 500 sets of useful data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, chi-squared test, ANOVA and Duncan-test using SPSS 21.0. The findings showed significant differences among the classified consumer groups for consumer demographics, shopping orientation, perceived risk, and purchase after satisfaction. The results imply that consumers show a variety of channel transition behaviors based on demographic variables, shopping orientation, and perceived risk. Understanding and adapting to consumer purchase behaviors will allow company distribution channels to be effectively managed and eventually increase consumer satisfaction as well as company sales volume.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.553-568
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• 2019

This study examined motivation to use omni-channel services on mobile devices in fashion stores and the effects of such usage motivation on brand purchase intention through continuous and affective commitment. Data were collected on consumers in their 20s and 30s who experienced omni-channel services during shopping for or purchasing fashion products. An online survey asked 413 consumers to rate their brand purchase intention. Sub-levels of each variable were examined using SPSS 25.0, followed by confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 19.0. In addition, path analysis using structural equation modeling was applied to analyze associations between variables. The statistical results were mixed. First, only two dimensions of usage motivation for omni-channel services, hedonic and relational motivation, had positive effects on continuous and affective commitment. Second, continuous commitment had a greater effect on purchase intention of brands that provided omni-channel services than it did on affective commitment. Third, of the dimensions of usage motivation, utilitarian motivation had a direct influence on purchase intention in the modified model, while social motivation did not affect service commitment and purchase intention. Finally, our findings suggest that brand loyalty can be built by encouraging service commitments through hedonic and relational motivation, based on the usability of omni-channel services.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the consumers' characteristics in terms of information source usage and purchase channel choice focusing on apparel purchasers in the multichannel retailing environment. The specific research objects are as follows: analyzing consumer's information source usage and purchase channel choice when buying their own clothing, examining the differences of consumers' characteristics according to the groups who are classified by their information source usages, and examining the differences of consumers' characteristics according to the purchase channel choice. The data was collected from adults over 20 years of age who had bought their own clothing within the last year. The questionnaire was carried out during September 2019, using a professional internet research panel, and 490 useful data sets were analyzed by utilizing descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, chi-squared test, ANOVA and a Duncan-test using SPSS 21.0. The findings showed that there were also significant differences of consumers' characteristics which included age, gender, monthly clothing expenditure, purchase price, shopping value and perceived risk according to the consumer's information source usage and their purchase channel choice.

• Asian Journal of Business Environment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.15-22
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• 2019

Purpose: Omni-channel retailing is a new retail phenomenon. Consumers in the omni-channel environment do not rely on one channel but integrate different channels from the same retailers freely during a particular shopping journey. The purpose of this study is to better understand omni-channel shoppers in the fashion retailing context. The present study uses consumer characteristics -- fashion innovativeness, technology innovativeness, and fashion purchase involvement -- as determinants predicting consumers' omni-channel shopping intentions for fashion products. Research design, data, and methodology: Data were collected from 403 U.S. consumers, and the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed to test proposed hypotheses. The survey for this research consisted of three parts. The first part measured consumer traits in terms of their innovativeness and purchase involvement. The second part was designed to measure consumers' omni-channel shopping intentions, and the third part gathered consumer demographic information. Results: The findings confirmed that fashion innovativeness, technology innovativeness, and fashion purchase involvement positively affected consumers' omni-channel shopping intentions. Conclusions: Fashion retailers should integrate various customer touchpoints and offer mobile-enabled technologies to boost consumer traffic to both online and offline stores. They also need to create a shopping environment that is optimized for customer engagement in various shopping processes and allow them to explore different shopping channel options for best purchase decisions.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.73-82
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• 2023

Purpose: Social networking services have been recognized as an attractive distribution channel at a time when efforts to deliver effective messages to consumers are essential amid a flood of advertisements in the multi-media era. In that sense, this study investigated the effect of the scarcity message type (limited-time vs. limited-quantity) and sender type (corporate vs. consumer) on the intention to purchase golf equipment by Instagram distribution channel. Research design, data and methodology: Data from 108 college students in their 20s and 30s with experience using Instagram were collected online through convenience sampling. A frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, independent sample t-test, and two-way analysis of variance were performed using SPSS 23.0. Results: The results showed that limited-quantity messages induce a higher purchase intention than limited-time messages. Similarly, consumer-sent advertisements induce a higher purchase intention than corporate-sent advertisements. Further, there is no statistically significant interaction effect of the scarcity message type and sender type on the intention to purchase golf equipment. Conclusions: This study is meaningful in verifying consumers' purchase intention depending on the type of scarcity message and the type of sender in Instagram advertisements. The results yield significant implications for marketers and several directions for future research.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.323-334
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• 2020

This study analyzed the effects of consumers' characteristic variables on information search and purchase decisions in a decision-making process that validated the path model in purchasing apparel products. In constructing a structural equation model using AMOS 19.0., the variables including enjoyment pursuit, price pursuit, product involvement and product risk were selected as consumers' characteristic variables affecting the stage of information search. A questionnaire was distributed to consumers over 20 years old who purchased apparel products using offline and online channels within one year; consequently, we were able to analyze 468 effective data. The results were as follows. First, the path model of this research proved to be the appropriate model explaining the effects of consumers' characteristic variables on the stage of purchase decision-making. Second, enjoyment pursuit had a significant positive influence on offline information search; in addition, price pursuit and product risk affected the online information search significantly. Product involvement affected online information search as well as offline information search. Third, the offline information search affected offline purchase and online information search affected online purchase. However, consumer's channel switching behavior between the stage of information search and the stage of purchase decision was not proven. The findings suggest that companies need to develop distribution strategies according to consumers' characteristic factors that effect consumer's purchase decision-making.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.255-269
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• 2020

This paper aims to analyze the factors influencing consumer's choice of smartphone purchase channel in multichannel environments. Recently, smartphone purchase channels are becoming more complex and diverse. A smartphone with a short purchase cycle is a product applying advanced technology, the research of this topic would be significant. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, depending on the consumer's shopping orientation, the consumer group was classified into three groups of preference 1. Active shopping, 2. Convenient shopping, and 3. Rational shopping. Second, it was analyzed that the consumer's shopping orientation influenced the decisions of the information search channel and the purchase channel. Third, there was a significant difference between the search and purchase channels in the three groups. Finally, in the channel experience, there was a significant difference in price satisfaction by group. The results of these studies are expected to provide practical implications for establishing a customized multi-channel strategy. This study provides a desirable model for research on smartphone purchase channels.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.405-414
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• 2016

The rapid change of consumer expectations in shopping environments has required retailers to actively adopt omni-channel services, however, limited research exists on the topic. We identify the effect of consumer's utilitarian shopping value on expectations for omni-channel services. An online survey was conducted on 176 subjects who had experience using omni-channel services. We employed Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as our theoretical model to explore the mechanisms of consumers' acceptance of omni-channel services in fashion. We used SPSS ver. 22.0 and AMOS ver. 22.0 programs to analyze data. The results indicate that utilitarian shopping value has a positive effect on performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence for omni-channel services. Performance expectancy for omni-channel services also has a positive effect on the purchase intentions of fashion products. Effort expectancy for omni-channel services also positively increases the purchase intentions of fashion products. Last, the social effect of omni-channel services has a significant positive effect on purchase intention. All the hypotheses were supported. The research findings can provide the fashion distribution industry with useful basic data to understand the needs of consumers who use multi-channels when establishing a new channel or marketing strategy.