How do omnichannel customer experiences affect customer engagement? Theory and empirical validation

Syed Mahmudur Rahman, Jamie Carlson, Siegfried P. Gudergan, Martin Wetzels, Dhruv Grewal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

To clarify the effect of the omnichannel customer experience (OCX) on customer engagement, this article empirically analyzes how OCX affects direct and indirect customer engagement intentions. Using data from two surveys (Study 1n = 312; Study 2n = 822) of U.S. omnichannel retail customers, the empirical findings demonstrate that the positive relationship between OCX and a measure of direct customer engagement (i.e., repurchase intentions) depends on the stage of the customer–retailer relationship. Customers’ novelty-seeking and time-consciousness traits strengthen the positive relationship of OCX with indirect measures of customer engagement (i.e., influence, feedback, and referral intentions). The findings caution against oversimplistic assumptions about how customer experiences create value in omnichannel retailing. To boost customers’ repurchase intentions, omnichannel retailers should employ different OCX strategies in different relationship stages. In addition, they can benefit from targeting customers who exhibit high inherent novelty seeking and time consciousness.

Original languageEnglish
Article number115196
JournalJournal of Business Research
Volume189
Early online date24 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 24 Jan 2025

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available on request.

Funding

The authors received no external funding support for this study.

Keywords

  • Customer engagement
  • Customer experience
  • Omnichannel
  • Personality traits
  • Relationship stage

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Marketing

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