Unraveling Determinants of Webrooming Behavior: A Qualitative Inquiry

Authors

  • Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University
  • Norazlyn Kamal Basha School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia
  • Siew-Imm Ng School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia
  • Jo-Ann Ho School of Business and Economics, Universiti Putra Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.4321.2021

Keywords:

Webrooming, Cross-channel shopping behavior, Consumer traits, Shopping channel, Smart-shopping perception, Product category

Abstract

Webrooming, a practice whereby consumers research for products online prior to making their final purchase offline, represents a prevalent form of shopping behavior in the current retailing landscape. This study aims to explore the determinants for and against the adoption of webrooming behavior among Millennials. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. Data were analyzed through theoretical thematic analysis. Results unveil a number of important themes, categorized based on consumers- (i.e., need for touch, need for interaction, price-comparison orientation, and product knowledge), channel-related factors (i.e., online search convenience, perceived usefulness of online reviews, perceived helpfulness of in-store salespeople, immediate possession, perceived risk), situational factor (i.e., product category), as well as experiential outcome (smart-shopping perception) that arose from webrooming. Considering the limited research on webrooming, this study advances the theoretical understanding on the determinants of webrooming, and offers managerial insight for retailers to deal with this popular shopping phenomenon.

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Published

2021-12-17

How to Cite

Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw, Norazlyn Kamal Basha, Siew-Imm Ng, & Jo-Ann Ho. (2021). Unraveling Determinants of Webrooming Behavior: A Qualitative Inquiry. International Journal of Business and Society, 22(3), 1550–1568. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.4321.2021

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Vol. 22 No. 3 (2021): International Journal of Business and Society

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