Omnichannel as a driver of digitalization: evidence from the emerging market in the fashion industry

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the study presented in this paper is to investigate the interrelationships among technologies in retail, webrooming and showrooming purchase intentions and customer experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in the fashion industry in three fashion groups: LPP, CCC and Inditex, which declare to use omnichannel solutions in their supply chains. The study focusses on 825 customers drawn from the emerging market in Poland. The research follows the partial least squares path model procedure.

Findings

Based on the study, it was concluded that out-store technologies are positively associated with omnichannel purchase intentions and also positively associated with cognitive and affective customer experience. This study proves that the boundary between traditional and online stores is beginning to blur, and thanks to new technologies, customers can experience traditional shopping resembling online shopping, and vice-versa.

Research limitations/implications

Although the results provide several major contributions to theory and implications for practitioners, the study still demonstrates some methodological constraints. More specifically, although the study employs a relatively large research sample of 825 shoppers, it still focusses only on a selected group of customers in three fashion groups, LPP, CCC and Inditex, and is limited to investigating a particular type of customer experience solely in the fashion industry.

Originality/value

The results of this study not only verify the theoretical concepts and assumptions of technologies supporting omnichannel retail but also offer a practical roadmap for creating omnichannel solutions providing the best customer experience.

Citation

Szozda, N. (2023), "Omnichannel as a driver of digitalization: evidence from the emerging market in the fashion industry", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 905-923. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-11-2021-0293