Showrooming and retail opportunities: a qualitative investigation via consumer-experience lens

Showrooming represents a shopper behaviour prevalent in today’s retail landscape, referring to consumers inspect a desired product at a retailer’s physical store and then buy it online, usually from a competitor. Showrooming has been examined frequently from a negative standpoint (e.g. free-riding and channel-hopping), via the theoretical lens of multichannel shopping, and with a quantitative (theory testing) approach. The present study seeks to investigate showrooming from a positive standpoint and help retailers to diagnose and appreciate the potential opportunities may be presented by this shopper behaviour. Our investigation is guided by the theoretical lens of consumer experience and a qualitative (theory building) approach, based on convergent interviews with eleven self-proclaimed showroomers based on the shopping context of consumer electronics. The present study contributes to retail theory and practice by illustrating that showrooming can be conceived and managed as a positive shopper behaviour. Its potential opportunities can be better appreciated when retailers give greater consideration of its experiential aspects, such as decision-activities and emotions