Multi-channel versus pure player online retailers
The online shopping market is shared by pure players and multi-channel retailers. Pure
players are companies that do not have an up-front store presence and sell products only
via the internet (Rao et al., 2009). Multi-channel retailers, also called “bricks and clicks”
retailers, supplement conventional stores with online services (Burt and Sparks, 2003).
With more and more adoption of the internet as an additional sales channel by retailers
and the rapid growth of pure players, a debate as to which model is more efficient and
provides better service has been initiated (White and Daniel, 2004; Klinger et al., 2003).
There has also been some debate about which retail format is more likely to prevail
in the future. Enders and Jelassi (2000) and Chen and Leteney (2000) posited that a
multi-channel type, i.e. an integration of real and virtual systems, is the way forward.
They predict pure players will be forced to recognise the importance of physical
presence and conventional stores and will eventually venture into a multi-channel
mode.