Title: Multichannel retailing and the internet: prospects, problems and strategic options

Authors: Valerie L. Vaccaro, Gopalkrishnan R. Iyer

Addresses: Department of Marketing, College of Business and Public Administration, Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083-0411, USA. ' Director, Center for Services Marketing and Management, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA

Abstract: While the internet holds several benefits for current catalogue and store retailers to pursue multichannel strategies, many firms have not achieved high levels of success in the integration of the internet channel in multichannel retailing. We take stock of the benefits of the internet in multichannel retailing, identify some problems and strategic options that affect the success of multichannel retail strategies using the internet, and offer a decision making framework that identifies critical issues in pursuing a multichannel retail strategy.

Keywords: multichannel retailing; internet retailing; catalogues; websites; bricks-and-clicks; retail strategy; internet marketing; e-tailing; online shopping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2005.007745

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2005 Vol.2 No.3, pp.168 - 183

Published online: 10 Sep 2005 *

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