The Impact of Hybrid Channel Structures on the Customer Purchase Process A Research Outline.pdf
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The Impact of Hybrid Channel
Structures on the Customer Purchase
Process: A Research Outline
Daniel Görsch
dg.inf@cbs.dk
Copenhagen Business School
Center for Electronic Commerce
Howitzvej 60, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Abstract
Hybrid channel structures enable companies to interact with prospective as
well as actual customers using both electronic and conventional channels.
These multiple opportunities of contact with customers increase the scope for
differentiation and may lead to higher customer retention rates. This paper
argues that a combination of electronic and conventional channels allows the
provision of value to the customer beyond the ‘core’ product. It discusses how
the customer purchase process might be used to identify components of the
enhanced value proposition and how these components are affected by hybrid
channel structures. It also presents research questions that need to be
addressed in order to understand the competitive and strategic implications of
hybrid channel structures.
Keywords: electronic retailing, purchase process, electronic commerce, hybrid channels
1. Introduction
Surveys on the use of electronic channels such as Web stores indicate a high growth of
electronic commerce. Conventional channels, on the other hand, still account for the vast
majority of retailing. According to the U.S. trade ministry, electronic retailing accounted for less
than 1% of 821 billion US$ retailing revenues in the forth quarter 1999 (ECIN, March 6,
2000). Electronic commerce pundits often view electronic retailing as a threat to conventional
retailing (e.g. disintermediating conv
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