Determinants of Multichannel Consumer Switching Behavior: A Comparative Analysis of Search and Experience Products

In the present competitive retailing environment, retailers are confronted with consumers who are prone to switch between online and physical retail channels as well as across retailers. This research attempts to understand the factors that influence multichannel consumer attitude to engage in switching. We propose a model based on the push-pull-mooring theory to study the impact of various determinants on attitude to switch between different multichannel retailers in the context of two types of products. Results suggest that exploratory consumer behavior has positive effects on switching attitude across both types of products. Further, there are numerous interesting findings that differ across search and experience products. We provide managerial insights for multichannel retailers and discuss the implications for future research on consumer switching behavior in a multichannel environment.