Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT
Volume 47, Issue 5, Pages 474-492Publisher
EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1108/IJRDM-12-2018-0270
Keywords
Technology and innovation management; Digital transformation; In-store technology; Omnichannel retailing; Pioneering strategy
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Purpose Retail customers are now omnichannel both for attitude and behavior. Since individuals interact with multiple touchpoints throughout their shopping journey, retailers must consider all channels holistically as consumers do, in order to provide them with a unified shopping experience. Thus, recently retailers are showing an increasing interest in the deployment of advanced in-store systems aimed at enhancing the shopping experience by providing customers with innovative tools able to engage them for obtaining deeper insights, saving time and feeling more independent while shopping. Such technologies can help retailers to better react to those emerging settings by: acquiring a positive image and reputation, being perceived as innovator; reducing management costs; maintaining and acquiring loyal consumers; making imitation strategies as difficult as possible for competitors; and reaching a unique and differentiated positioning. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how store technology positively affects the customer experience in an omnichannel retail environment and if the early adoption of in-store technology by retailers produces a sustainable competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the research aim and deeply explore the phenomenon of interest, a multiple-case study involving 15 retailers, operating in different industries of the Italian market, was carried through 80 semi-structured in-depth interviews with store managers and employees. Findings Results of the content analysis show that customers are increasingly willing to use the in-store innovations in order to obtain richer shopping experiences while retailers achieve a stronger brand loyalty as well as a better and updated brand image. Originality/value This paper contributes to the relevant literature by proposing two conceptual frameworks. It provides a deeper understanding of possible advantages and threats resulting from early technology adoption by retailers, which is becoming essential for improving the omnichannel customer management and increasing business performance.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available