Role of Omni Channel Attributes and Perceived Behavioral Control in Omni Channel Selection

Abstract

The retailing industry worldwide is transitioning from multi-channel retailing to omni channel retailing. In contrast to multi-channel retailing which provides offerings through different and separate channels, all channels are essentially well integrated in omni channel retailing. In the middle eastern region, the transition from multi-channel to omni channel retailing is rapidly taking place in Saudi Arabia. However, managing channels synergistically for providing seamless customer experience is proving out to be challenging task for omni channel retailers. What omni channel attributes are valued necessary by consumers in making them seamlessly choose omni channels for shopping are not explicit in the literature especially in Saudi Arabian context. In order to better integrate and coordinate channels it is very important for omni channel retailers to first understand the behavior of omni channel shoppers. The omni channel retailers need to know what omni channel attributes influence consumer’s perception of ease and ability in selecting omni channels for shopping. This study examines how omni channel attributes namely omni channel transparency, omni channel convenience and omni channel uniformity help in influencing consumer’s perception in selecting omni channels. The study employed snowball sampling method for collecting the sample of omni shoppers from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The study sample comprised of 551 respondents who actively shopped through various omni channel retailers of Saudi Arabia. All hypothesized relationships of the study were tested simultaneously using structural equation modelling technique. The study reported that omni channel transparency, omni channel convenience and omni channel uniformity positively influence consumer’s perception in selecting omni channels in Saudi Arabia. This study tries to combine consumer and omni channel retailer perspectives for the better understanding of shopping behaviors across omni channels. With the better understanding of consumer shopping behaviors, omni channel retailers would be thus able to better integrate their channels and coordinate their supply chains to the best satisfaction of their consumers.