Multichannel Consumer Behavior in Retail Environments

Multichannel consumer behaviour encompasses the ways in which shoppers navigate and integrate multiple retail channels—physical stores, websites, mobile apps, social media and emerging Internet of Things (IoT) touchpoints—throughout their purchase journey. In contemporary retail settings, consumers often begin product research online, inspect items in store, compare prices via mobile devices and complete transactions through whichever channel offers the greatest convenience or value. This interconnected journey is driven by motivations such as time savings, price comparison, product variety and experiential engagement. The blending of channels gives rise to practices like webrooming—where online research precedes an in-store purchase—and showrooming—where in-store exploration precedes an online purchase. Retailers must orchestrate inventory, pricing, customer service and marketing communications seamlessly across channels to meet consumer expectations, foster loyalty and avoid channel conflict or cannibalisation. Globally, multichannel strategies are redefining retail operations, with brands adjusting supply-chain logistics, deploying unified customer data platforms and personalising the shopping experience. Practical applications range from click-and-collect fulfilment to integrated loyalty programmes and context-aware promotions, all underpinned by data analytics and machine learning to predict consumer journeys and optimise touchpoints. As digital penetration deepens in emerging markets and mature economies alike, understanding the psychological, situational and technological factors that shape channel choice becomes vital for retailers seeking sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent work has shed light on the economic and experiential value of combining online and offline channels. One study in the fashion industry compared webrooming and showrooming, finding that consumers who research online and then buy in store report greater feelings of smart shopping, greater perceived control over their purchase and stronger personal attribution than those who inspect in store and then buy online. This enhanced sense of time savings and purchase confidence has implications for how retailers allocate resources between digital and bricks-and-mortar touchpoints. A comprehensive review of channel-choice determinants identified more than sixty factors influencing whether a consumer selects a particular channel. These factors group into perceived channel characteristics (such as convenience and risk), customer needs and situational variables, with indirect influences from individual traits and product attributes. The framework offers a roadmap for future omnichannel management, emphasising the need for adaptive channel design and targeted interventions matched to consumer profiles and contexts. Finally, research on digital-native grocery brands expanding into brick-and-mortar through brand stores demonstrates the trade-offs inherent in multichannel entry. While new physical outlets can boost supermarket listings and overall brand sales, they may cannibalise existing online revenue. When operational costs are taken into account, top-line growth does not always translate into higher profits, underscoring the importance of a rigorous before-and-after analysis and strategic alignment of channel investments with profitability objectives.

Multichannel Consumer Behavior in Retail Environments publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multichannel consumer behavior in retail environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Omnichannel: An integrated retail approach that provides customers with a seamless experience across all available shopping channels, including online, mobile and physical outlets.

Webrooming: Consumer practice of researching products online before making the purchase in a physical store.

Showrooming: Consumer practice of inspecting products in a physical store before purchasing them online, often with price comparison.

Channel cannibalisation: The unintended reduction of sales in one retail channel due to the introduction or expansion of another.

Personal attribution: The degree to which consumers feel in control of their shopping decisions and outcomes, enhancing satisfaction with a given channel mix.

References

1. Combining channels to make smart purchases: The role of webrooming and showrooming. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2020).
2. Factors of customers’ channel choice in an omnichannel environment: a systematic literature review. Management Review Quarterly (2022).
3. Assessing the Multichannel Impact of Brand Store Entry by a Digital-Native Grocery Brand. Journal of Marketing (2023).