Showrooms: the future of online and offline retailers? - An explorative comparison of showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience
(2021) BUSN39 20211Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate from a consumer perspective, showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience, and if there are differences in contribution whether the company, opening a showroom, derives from online or offline formats.
Methodology: Conducting the study philosophies of epistemology and ontology was regarded, where the social constructionism stance was employed. Further, the research took an abductive approach where the qualitative methods observations and semi-structured interviews were executed. Lastly, the study was conducted as an explorative comparison between two cases operating in high-involvement product categories where the concept showrooms were studied.
Theoretical Perspective:... (More) - Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate from a consumer perspective, showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience, and if there are differences in contribution whether the company, opening a showroom, derives from online or offline formats.
Methodology: Conducting the study philosophies of epistemology and ontology was regarded, where the social constructionism stance was employed. Further, the research took an abductive approach where the qualitative methods observations and semi-structured interviews were executed. Lastly, the study was conducted as an explorative comparison between two cases operating in high-involvement product categories where the concept showrooms were studied.
Theoretical Perspective: As literature of the concept showrooms is limited, this study focused on reviewing literature of the specific phenomenon i.e., showrooms. Additionally, theory on customer experience and construal level theory was reviewed, which substantially included traditional- and technological attributes, store elements- and personnel, and brand awareness as well as sensory distance connected to the presence or absence of the product.
Empirical Data: Triangulation of data sources was employed in the form of 24 semi-structured consumer interviews and 2 manager interviews. The interviews were then complemented with 57 in-store observations to increase the understanding of showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience, as well as to better interpret the information expressed by the interviewees.
Conclusion: The main conclusions of this study highlights the availability of the format as fundamental for high-involvement products. However the central location of the showroom was valued differently whether the retailer derived from online- or offline. Further, we conclude that traditional values rather than technological attributes are the most important elements in a format like this where the personnel stood out as the main contributor, regardless of deriving from online- or offline. Additionally, the study concludes that brand awareness and previous experience with the brand affects expectations of the new format. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9059179
- author
- Pärsson, Emma LU and Edlund, Beata LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Showrooms, Customer Experience, Online- and Offline Retailers, Polestar, IKEA, Availability, Personnel- and Technology, Physical Experience, Brand Awareness
- language
- English
- id
- 9059179
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-29 14:24:28
- date last changed
- 2021-06-29 14:24:28
@misc{9059179,
abstract = {{Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate from a consumer perspective, showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience, and if there are differences in contribution whether the company, opening a showroom, derives from online or offline formats.
Methodology: Conducting the study philosophies of epistemology and ontology was regarded, where the social constructionism stance was employed. Further, the research took an abductive approach where the qualitative methods observations and semi-structured interviews were executed. Lastly, the study was conducted as an explorative comparison between two cases operating in high-involvement product categories where the concept showrooms were studied.
Theoretical Perspective: As literature of the concept showrooms is limited, this study focused on reviewing literature of the specific phenomenon i.e., showrooms. Additionally, theory on customer experience and construal level theory was reviewed, which substantially included traditional- and technological attributes, store elements- and personnel, and brand awareness as well as sensory distance connected to the presence or absence of the product.
Empirical Data: Triangulation of data sources was employed in the form of 24 semi-structured consumer interviews and 2 manager interviews. The interviews were then complemented with 57 in-store observations to increase the understanding of showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience, as well as to better interpret the information expressed by the interviewees.
Conclusion: The main conclusions of this study highlights the availability of the format as fundamental for high-involvement products. However the central location of the showroom was valued differently whether the retailer derived from online- or offline. Further, we conclude that traditional values rather than technological attributes are the most important elements in a format like this where the personnel stood out as the main contributor, regardless of deriving from online- or offline. Additionally, the study concludes that brand awareness and previous experience with the brand affects expectations of the new format.}},
author = {{Pärsson, Emma and Edlund, Beata}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Showrooms: the future of online and offline retailers? - An explorative comparison of showrooms’ value contribution to the customer experience}},
year = {{2021}},
}