Generational Differences in Perceived Channel Value and Omnichannel Shopping Intention: A Quantitative Survey-Based Study
Keywords:
Single-Channel, Showrooming, Webrooming, Perceived channel value, Generational differences, Omnichannel shopping intentionAbstract
Omnichannel has become increasingly important over the past few years. Many consumers prefer various channel pathways to purchase products and services in the physical and digital retail landscape, while some remain comfortable with only a specific channel. Numerous studies have investigated how consumers interact across multiple channels, yet overlook the single-channel use that remains. The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of Thai consumers’ perceived value of four channel paths — pure offline, pure online, showrooming, and webrooming — on omnichannel shopping intention, with a moderating effect of generation (Generation X, Y, and Z). Data was collected and analyzed from 426 respondents using hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicate a negative relationship between the perceived value of two single-channel paths and omnichannel purchase intention. On the other hand, the results confirm a positive effect of the perceived value of two multichannel paths on the omnichannel purchase intention. A stronger negative impact of the perceived value of pure offline is found in GenY. The positive effect of webrooming value is also found to be stronger for Gen Y. Other generational moderations are identified as insignificant. This adds another perspective to existing research that generational differences may no longer play a pivotal role in determining omnichannel behavior. Other specific behavioral and psychological traits of each generation should be considered to add deeper perspectives. On the other hand, the results reaffirm the importance of moving toward omnichannel strategies. Companies should continue to develop an appropriate cross-channel strategy to enhance seamless integration rather than focusing mainly on store expansion.
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