Abstract
Operating multiple channels, in store as well as non-store, allows a retailer to cater to the different shopping motives of its customers.
This research into the buying behavior of 525 customers of a multi-channel retailer that operates five channels in Germany shows that
most customers use only one channel within a buying process, selecting the channel that best satisfies their shopping motives in each
situation. Based on exploratory qualitative and quantitative research, this study identifies five shopping motives: ‘‘recreational
orientation’’, ‘‘convenience orientation’’, ‘‘independence orientation’’, ‘‘delivery-related risk aversion’’ and ‘‘product- and paymentrelated
risk aversion’’. In the majority of the store channels examined in this study (chain stores and bakeries), single-channel users
primarily look to satisfy emotional and social needs. Single-channel users of non-store channels (catalogue and online-shop) look for
convenience and strive for independence. Multi-channel users, who obtain their information from the online-shop and then make their
purchase in the chain store, are combining the independence of online-shop information with the reduction of risks associated with
buying products in the chain store. These findings can be used to develop recommendations for managing the individual channels.
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