نوع مقاله : پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Introduction
The rapid growth of communication technologies and the internet has led to the emergence of various channels to meet consumer needs. The expansion of these new communication channels, through which consumers interact with retailers, influences the shopping environment. Consumers can easily conduct their searches regarding the products and services they need through various channels in order to obtain, verify, and ultimately make their purchases. In their purchasing process, consumers can utilize different combinations of online and physical channels to seek information about products. Marketing in the retail industry has always focused on customer satisfaction, with the ultimate goal of bringing customers back for future purchases. This is achieved through the experience customers have with the channels of communication with the seller, as these communication channels play a significant role in this matter. In fact, the experience customers gain from interacting with the seller's methods and paths to reach them significantly influences their sense of satisfaction and, consequently, the likelihood of repeat purchases. Although the impact of traditional and physical customer communication channels has been addressed and studied in marketing research, today, with the emergence of new marketing methods, e-business, and the digital technology world, a branch of marketing known as digital marketing has developed, which focuses on examining customer retention and experience in interacting with digital marketing methods. Nowadays, digital technologies are taking over businesses across all fields. In other words, no business can be considered independent of digital technologies today, and this issue is not limited to a specific industry or business. Therefore, the main objective of the present research is to examine the impact of the integration of multi-channel strategies on customer experience and retention in the retail industry.
Methodology
The current research is considered a descriptive survey from the method point of view and applied in terms of the type of goal. To design the conceptual model of the research, the data was gathered through the library method and literature review of the research topic. Then, to collect the necessary information for testing the conceptual model of the research, a questionnaire tool was used in the form of a research questionnaire with the help of existing standard questionnaires. The statistical population of this research is the customers of the Ocala online store in Tehran, and because the number of community members is unlimited, the available sampling method was used. After receiving the number of customers from the information sources of the studied organization, using Cochran's formula, the sample size was determined to be 156 people. Due to the dispersion of the statistical population and to ensure that a certain part of the population does not affect the generalizability of the research results, the cluster sampling method has been used; In this way, customers were randomly selected from each of the east, west, center, and north areas of Tehran. After ensuring the validity of the data collection tool, the questionnaire was distributed among the statistical sample, and the completed questionnaires were prepared for analysis using Excel software. The number of questionnaires sent was 200, and 184 returned questionnaires were received (92% return rate), and 158 questionnaires with acceptable missing data were obtained. Finally, in the data analysis, the profile of the research participants is reviewed and presented using descriptive statistics. Then, using inferential statistics and structural equation modeling, research hypotheses are examined.
Results and Discussion
According to the analysis of the hypotheses, the integration of multi-channel strategies influences interactive satisfaction, retail satisfaction, and retail uncertainty. The impact of multi-channel integration on brand identity appeal and switching costs is not significant. Brand identity appeal, perceived risk, and retail uncertainty affect customer return. Additionally, retail uncertainty and brand identity appeal influence the interest in switching. Retail satisfaction and interactive satisfaction also have an effect on customer return. Finally, it was determined that interactive satisfaction, retail satisfaction, retail uncertainty, brand appeal, and switching costs affect customer retention, with the moderating role of in-person shopping behavior.
Conclusion
Overall, the results of the hypothesis tests indicate that there are various factors in online retail that affect the pre-purchase, in-purchase, and post-purchase processes of customers. For example, one of the most significant factors identified is the importance of the registration process. Since purchasing requires an account, if the registration and buying processes are overly complicated, users may turn to another online retailer with a simpler registration process. Additionally, to attract customers at first glance, it is recommended to have suitable designs and colors. Websites can adopt diverse colors based on the type of items they sell. According to color psychology, colors can evoke trust (such as blue) or happiness (like pink), as colors and designs subconsciously influence purchasing behavior and brand recognition.
کلیدواژهها English
Kalantari Dehaghi, Sh., & Najmi, M. (2023). Investigating factors affecting the integration of support units and human resources of higher education centers. Strategic Management Studies Quarterly, 14(55), 47-67. doi: 10.22034/smsj.2023.176434 [In Persian] https://doi.org/10.22034/smsj.2023.176434
