Title: Channel strategies, product types, and performance in the US retail industry

Authors: Bau-Jung Chang

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Feng Chia University, 100, Wenhwa Rd., Seatwen, Taichung 40724, Taiwan

Abstract: Internet becomes an alternative channel for retailers to distribute products and services, and at least three channel strategies turn up after internet technology emerged. This paper investigates the differences across channel strategies within US retail industry and to explore why the differences occur, and intends to contribute to marketing and retailing literatures. This paper analyses the differences of advertising investment and inventory turnover across channel strategies and product types for eight categories of industry segments. Besides, the impacts of channel strategies and product types on firm performance are also proposed. Employing panel data of 272 firms between 1995 and 2006 in US retail industry, the results show that there are significant differences in advertising investment and inventory turnover across channel strategies and product types. In addition, click-and-mortar firms obtain better performance than the other two channel strategies, and experience goods are negatively associated with firm performance when firms adopt e-tailing strategy.

Keywords: e-commerce; electronic commerce; internet; world wide web; experience goods; channel strategies; USA; United States; product types; retail industry; alternative channels; retailers; product distribution; service distribution; advertising investment; inventory turnover; firm performance; panel data; click-and-mortar firms; e-tailing; electronic marketing; e-marketing; electronic retailing; e-retailing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEMR.2012.051030

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 2012 Vol.5 No.2, pp.110 - 127

Received: 10 Feb 2012
Accepted: 31 Aug 2012
Published online: 27 Aug 2014 *

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