Building on the concept of diagnosticity, this study investigates through which
mechanisms and in which conditions channel assortment integration influences
customer loyalty. Results of a 3 (channel structure: full, asymmetrical, none) x 3
(assortment structure: substitutive, complementary, independent) experimental study with 959 participants show that structures are regarded as diagnostic by customers, in that they infer potential benefits from these cues, which mediate the link between structures and loyalty. Whereas full integration enhances loyalty across all assortment structures, asymmetrical integration can have detrimental effects, in particular, for substitutive relations and for customers' high on personal need for structure. Researchers and managers can use our findings to understand the effectiveness of the diverse approaches of channel integration.
Emrich, Oliver, Michael Paul, and Thomas Rudolph (2014): "Should Retailers Integrate Assortments Across Channels to Drive Customer Loyalty?" , Valencia, Spain.
To what extent should multichannel retailers integrate assortments across channels? Previous literature controversially discusses the question of which integration strategy is most successful but arguments are only conceptual, and no empirical assessment exists. This article presents a framework that (a) shows how customers' perceived shopping benefits of variety, convenience, and reduced risk mediate the impact of multichannel assortment integration (full, asymmetrical, no) on patronage intentions and (b) differentiates the impact for retailer types based on substitutive, complementary, and independent assortment relations. Two large-scale experimental studies empirically investigate whether a dominant integration strategy exists in the context of full and simultaneous information (Study 1) and more uncertain and subsequent information accessibility (Study 2). We consistently find that full integration dominates no integration across assortment relations, but asymmetrical integration-the strategy that is most often realized by multichannel retailers-can have a detrimental impact for substitutive relations compared with no integration. Asymmetrical integration can be more beneficial than full integration for independent relations, while customer outcomes differ less for complementary relations. Researchers and managers can use our findings to understand how shopping benefits of variety, convenience, and reduced risk explain the different customer outcomes of multichannel assortment integration, depending on retailer type.
Customer choice in retailing increasingly takes place in multichannel
settings. Channel integration, that is, how consistent multiple channels of the same
company are in terms of retail mix elements (e.g. price, assortment), receives rising attention in research and practice. In this article, we investigate the effects of multichannel assortment integration on customer choice. Further, we research the moderating impact of assortment relations as well as customer characteristics. We test our hypothesis in a 3 x 3 role-playing experiment using a nationwide representative sample of 959 customers. We find that multichannel assortment integration positively influences customers' perceived choice, exploration, and choice confidence. We also unveil that different interactions between channel assortment integration and assortment relations are at work for each choice construct. The effectiveness of channel assortment integration further depends on customers' personal need for structure and their level of involvement. Our results underscore the need for retailers to consider offering consistent assortments across channels. This is especially important, given that 70% of retailers have not fully integrated their channels. The paper closes with implications for multichannel managers and researchers.
