Selection phase
Stores are preferred channel at the selection phase because respondents consider them most effective (corr. 1⁄4 0.449), most useful (corr. 1⁄4 0.443), most user-friendly (corr. 1⁄4 0.337), and fastest (corr. 1⁄4 0.233):
H4a. “The main characteristics of the channel are channel response time, ease of use, and efficiency” is accepted.
Stores and ads are even more important for women than men. Respondents seek information regarding quality, price, functionality, design, and delivery time. The channels are ranked as follows:
. stores;
. ads;
. catalogs;
. internet;
. word-of-mouth; and
. telephone inquiries:
H4b. “The store is the main communication channel for product selection” is accepted.
It should be noted that the average rankings are the same for all regions. However, the ANOVAs show that stores are more important in the South and Midwest than the North andWest.Inthefuturestoreswillremainthemostimportantchannel(average 1⁄4 5.96), followed by ads (average 1⁄4 4.49) and the internet (average 1⁄4 4.31).