Consumer Behavior 101: Digital Consumer Behavior - Omnichannel Shopping WebtoStore Showrooming Webrooming

What It Is

Omnichannel shopping refers to a retail strategy that integrates multiple channels, such as online and offline platforms, to provide a seamless shopping experience for consumers. A notable example is Amazon's "Buy Online, Pickup In-Store" (BOPIS) service, which allows customers to purchase products online and pick them up at a physical store location. This matters for understanding consumers because it highlights the importance of convenience and flexibility in their shopping experiences.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Omnichannel shopping: A retail strategy that integrates multiple channels to provide a seamless shopping experience.
• Web-to-store: The practice of purchasing products online and picking them up in a physical store.
• Showrooming: The practice of browsing products in a physical store and then purchasing them online at a lower price.
• Web-rooming: The practice of browsing products online and then purchasing them in a physical store.
• Channel switching: The process of switching between different shopping channels, such as from online to offline or vice versa.
• Customer journey mapping: A visual representation of the customer's experience across multiple touchpoints and channels.
• Retailer-agnostic: A term used to describe the practice of shopping across multiple retailers, regardless of their online or offline presence.
• Click-and-collect: A service that allows customers to purchase products online and pick them up in a physical store.
• Order online, return in-store: A service that allows customers to purchase products online and return them in a physical store.
• Mobile commerce: The practice of shopping using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
• Social commerce: The practice of shopping through social media platforms.
• Influencer marketing: The practice of partnering with influencers to promote products or services.
• Customer experience: The sum of all interactions a customer has with a brand or company.
• Brand loyalty: The degree to which a customer is loyal to a particular brand.
• Customer retention: The process of retaining customers over time.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Omnichannel shopping is the same as multichannel marketing.
• Correction: Omnichannel shopping is a specific retail strategy that integrates multiple channels, whereas multichannel marketing refers to the practice of using multiple channels to reach customers.
• Misunderstanding: Web-rooming is the same as showrooming.
• Correction: Web-rooming is the practice of browsing products online and then purchasing them in a physical store, whereas showrooming is the practice of browsing products in a physical store and then purchasing them online at a lower price.
• Misunderstanding: Click-and-collect is only available for online purchases.
• Correction: Click-and-collect is available for both online and offline purchases, and can be used to pick up products in a physical store.

Quick Application / Identification

Scenario: A customer browses products online and then purchases them in a physical store. What type of shopping behavior is this an example of?

Answer: Web-rooming. Explanation: This behavior involves browsing products online and then purchasing them in a physical store, which is a key characteristic of web-rooming.

Last-Minute Revision

• Omnichannel shopping integrates multiple channels to provide a seamless shopping experience.
• Web-to-store involves purchasing products online and picking them up in a physical store.
• Showrooming involves browsing products in a physical store and then purchasing them online at a lower price.
• Web-rooming involves browsing products online and then purchasing them in a physical store.
• Channel switching involves switching between different shopping channels.
• Customer journey mapping is a visual representation of the customer's experience across multiple touchpoints and channels.
• Retailer-agnostic describes the practice of shopping across multiple retailers.
• Click-and-collect allows customers to purchase products online and pick them up in a physical store.
• Order online, return in-store allows customers to purchase products online and return them in a physical store.
• Mobile commerce involves shopping using mobile devices.
• Social commerce involves shopping through social media platforms.
• Influencer marketing involves partnering with influencers to promote products or services.
• Customer experience is the sum of all interactions a customer has with a brand or company.
• Brand loyalty is the degree to which a customer is loyal to a particular brand.
• Customer retention is the process of retaining customers over time. Omnichannel shopping is not the same as multichannel marketing. Web-rooming is not the same as showrooming. Click-and-collect is not only available for online purchases.