Multichannel Shopper Segments and Their Covariates

The proliferation of channels has created new challenges for research, including understanding how consumers may be segmented with respect to their information search and purchase behavior in multichannel environment. This research considers shopping a dynamic process that consists of search and purchase phases, in which the total utility of shopping process is determined by the perceived consumer utility toward channel use, which is mainly driven by consumer characteristics. The authors (1) segment consumers on the basis of their attitudes toward multiple channels as search and purchase alternatives; (2) investigate the association among psychological, economic, and sociodemographic covariates and segment membership; and (3) explore how multichannel behavior might differ across different product categories. Using survey data from 364 Dutch consumers and Latent-Class Analyse, they identify three segments – multichannel enthusiasts, uninvolved shoppers, and store-focused consumers – and covariates, such as shopping enjoyment, loyalty, and innovativeness that predict segment membership. The category-specific analysis suggests that overall segment descriptions apply generally to a variety of categories, though some differences exist, including the impact of covariates, across categories. The authors discuss implications for further research and practice.