How does convenience drive consumers' webrooming intention?

Purpose-The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of convenience on banking consumers' webrooming intention. To fulfil this objective, this study empirically investigates how convenience impacts consumers' webrooming intention, using a comprehensive moderated-mediation framework. The study investigates the mediating effects of perceived hedonic values and perceived utilitarian values and how these mediating effects are moderated by consumers' perceived security concerns. Design/methodology/approach-Data were collected using a questionnaire-based offline survey from 534 banking users in India, using systematic sampling. The covariance-based structural equation modelling and PROCESS macro were used to examine the hypotheses. Findings-The results indicated that access convenience, search convenience, benefit convenience and post-benefit convenience have a crucial impact on consumers' webrooming intention. The perceived hedonic values and perceived utilitarian values mediate the effects of convenience dimensions on webrooming intention, and mediation effects varied between high and low levels of consumers' perceived security concern. Research limitations/implications-This study was conducted in India using cross-sectional data. The proposed model can be replicated in other countries using longitudinal data for generalising the findings. Practical implications-The study's findings will help banks identify how to enhance convenience to manage channel-switching behaviour. Originality/value-Webrooming, a key channel-switching concern in a multichannel banking context is investigated by examining the impact of convenience dimensions.

Automated summary

This study examines the impact of convenience on banking consumers' webrooming intention using a moderated-mediation framework, finding that convenience dimensions have a crucial impact on webrooming intention. The mediation effects of perceived hedonic values and perceived utilitarian values, as well as the moderation effects of consumers' perceived security concerns were also explored.