Multi-Channel Utility for Retail Apparel Product Search and Purchase Behaviour: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Purpose - The study explores the retail utility of customers purchasing through alternate retail channel. The study examines usefulness for product information search and their previous purchase satisfaction on their frequencies of product information search and product purchase behaviour for apparel. The investigation of these relationships were done through five different retail channels - Internet shopping, Catalogue shopping, Television shopping, Local retail stores and Organized retail stores.

Method - This paper analyses primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from one hundred eighty three graduate and post graduate students of western region of Gujarat (Kutchh).

Findings - Consumer who perceived a certain retail channel more useful for product information search searched for product information more frequently via that retail channel and purchased products more often via that retail channel. Consumers who were more satisfied with apparel purchase from a retail channel purchased the product more frequently via that retail channel.

Value/Originality - This study shows a holistic view of the multi-channel context in terms of the information search and product purchase behaviour for apparel products. The present study provides an understanding of college-aged consumers’ search and purchase behaviours for apparel products.

The current study provides managerial implications for the apparel industry. As the majority of college-aged consumers have multi-channel shopping experiences, the apparel retail industry needs to understand this younger consumer market’s characteristics and its channel usages to enhance their multi-channel retail strategies.

Keywords: multi-channel retailing, perceived retail usefulness, purchase behaviour, product search, customer satisfaction

JEL Classification: M3, M00