A Multiple-item Scale For Measuring An Integrated Store Service Quality In Omni-channel Retailing

The rise of technology through e-commerce and mobile shopping has transformed the four walls of the store into seamless shopping atmosphere.Consumers can smoothly switch between both channels(online and offline)while shopping in-store,therefore increasing the consumer's service expectations from brick and mortar in integrated settings.This study aims to understand the position of an integrated store in omni-channel retailing and the service which integrated store should deliver to consumers.First,grounded theory analysis is conducted to get a clear picture of consumers core requirements especially about the new modern brick and mortar.Second,survey method is employed to determine various aspects to measure integrated store service quality.The qualitative analysis reveals seven dimensions scale for assessing service quality,which are labeled as the In-store environment,In-store technology,Product information consistency,Employee assistance,Personalization,Channel availability,and Instant gratification and return.The empirical result shows a good fit of the model.Regression analysis shows that the seven dimensions of integrated store service quality have a relevant impact on both dependent variables(customer loyalty and satisfaction).We also find that among the seven dimensions,the in-store environment has the strongest influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty,meanwhile Product information consistency influences the most among dimensions to customer satisfaction and Personalization contributes the most among the seven dimensions to customer loyalty.The study has contributed to the omni-channel retailing by proposing a scale to measure an integrated store service quality.Additionally,it is an opportunity for the retailers to evaluate their service quality according to our measurement scale and find out challenges and practical solutions in the implementation of an integrated store.