Offline Showrooms in Omnichannel Retail: Demand and Operational Benefits
Offline Showrooms in Omnichannel Retail: Demand and Operational Benefits
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DOI：
10.1287/mnsc.2016.2684
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发表时间：
2018-04-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Moreno, Antonio
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bell, David R.;Gallino, Santiago;Moreno, Antonio
客户在同一零售商在线和离线购物的全渠道环境无处不在，并且由在线优先和传统零售商部署。我们专注于在线优先零售商这一相对未被充分研究的领域，以及关键的全渠道策略的参与;具体而言，引入陈列室（客户可以查看和试用产品的物理位置），并结合使用集中库存管理的在线履行。我们要问的是，陈列室是否以及如何有利于两个最基本的零售目标：需求生成和运营效率。使用WarbyParker的陈列室开放的准实验数据。com，领先的和标志性的在线第一眼镜零售商，我们发现，陈列室：（1）增加整体需求，以及在线渠道;（2）通过吸引平均具有较高服务成本的客户，产生对其他渠道的运营溢出效应;（3）通过增加抽样渠道的转换和减少回报，提高整体运营效率;以及（4）在与对公司产品有最迫切需求的客户打交道时，扩大这些需求和经营利益。此外，我们记录的效果随着时间的推移而加强，因为陈列室不仅有助于品牌知名度，还有助于我们所说的渠道知名度。最后，我们详细阐述了推动我们研究结果的潜在客户动态，并为在线优先零售商如何部署全渠道策略提供了启示。
Omnichannel environments where customers shop online and offline at the same retailer are ubiquitous, and are deployed by online-first and traditional retailers alike. We focus on the relatively understudied domain of online-first retailers and the engagement of a key omnichannel tactic; specifically, introduction of showrooms (physical locations where customers can view and try products) in combination with online fulfillment that uses centralized inventory management. We ask whether, and if so, how, showrooms benefit the two most basic retail objectives: demand generation and operational efficiency. Using quasi-experimental data on showroom openings by WarbyParker. com, the leading and iconic online-first eyewear retailer, we find that showrooms: (1) increase demand overall and in the online channel as well; (2) generate operational spillovers to the other channels by attracting customers who, on average, have a higher cost-to-serve; (3) improve overall operational efficiency by increasing conversion in a sampling channel and by decreasing returns; and (4) amplify these demand and operational benefits in dealing with customers who have the most acute need for the firm's products. Moreover, the effects we document strengthen with time as showrooms contribute not only to brand awareness but also to what we term channel awareness as well. We conclude by elaborating the underlying customer dynamics driving our findings and by offering implications for how online-first retailers might deploy omnichannel tactics.