Customer Search Path from Internet to Store: When Salespeople Get Involved

Régine Vanheems (1) , Steven Kelly (2) , Stevenson Kathleen (2)

1 Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan
2 DePaul University [Chicago]

The number of consumers doing online research before they visit the retail store is increasingly causing managerial problems. Originally multi-channel marketing was aimed at different segments of the customer base and so individual channels were in silos and managed independently. However, today customers do not hesitate to move back and forth between channels during the same buying experience. Customers expect every channel of a firm to provide the information that they seek. This gives rise to new challenges among distribution professionals. Enabling customers to enjoy a frictionless buying experience, no matter what channel they visit, is a real challenge for multi-channel companies. Management wants to foster continuity in the customer’s buying experience no matter what time or place it may occur.

Mots clés: Consumers

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société; Gestion et management

Régine Vanheems, Steven Kelly, Stevenson Kathleen. Customer Search Path from Internet to Store: When Salespeople Get Involved. Marketing EDGE Direct/Interactive Marketing Research, Oct 2014, San Diego., United States. ⟨hal-02163187⟩