How does channel integration quality enrich customer experiences with omnichannel retailers? An examination of mediating and moderating mechanisms

Abstract

While omnichannel has been a bloated retail buzzword for years, little is known about the dynamic mechanism of forming customer experience and the subsequent patronage behavior in the context of omnichannel retailers. Drawing upon the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, this thesis fills this important research gap by examining the effects of channel integration quality (CIQ) on customer experience through the mediating role of customer empowerment as well as the moderating role of internet usage, which in turn results in patronage intention. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with two-stage approach is employed to empirically test the research framework with 312 customers of the omnichannel retailers in Vietnam. The findings reveals that two dimensions of CIQ (i.e., channel-service configuration and integrated interactions) significantly affect customer experience, which in turn leads to patronage intention. Moreover, customer empowerment complementarily mediates the impacts of CIQ dimensions on customer experience, while internet usage strengthens the positive relationships between customer experience and its precursors. This thesis was concluded with the meaningful practical implications for omnichannel retailers to optimize their channel management that delivers a seamless shopping experience to their customers.