Webroomers versus showroomers: Are they the same?

This paper evaluates, on the one hand, the influence that routes to persuasion has on the webrooming and showrooming. On the other hand, for the specific case of products purchased online, we analyze whether developing showrooming versus pure online behaviors have a positive effect on the price paid by the customer. The empirical research is based on the database compiled by GfK which contains detailed information about the buying process of 4067 consumers who have purchased products from different retail sectors. We find that webroomers emerge as individuals who engage in a prolonged purchasing process over time and they focus more on the attributes directly associated with the product. Meanwhile, the showrooming customer, at least in terms of hedonic products, is more likely to purchase products of a higher value and price, though they then search for a retailer charging a lower price for the same level of value.