Transference and congruence effects on purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers: initial evidence from the U.S. and South Korea

• Published in: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 539 - 557
• Main Authors: Badrinarayanan, Vishag, Becerra, Enrique P., Kim, Chung-Hyun, Madhavaram, Sreedhar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.07.2012; Springer Science + Business Media LLC; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Attitudes; Business and Management; Cognitive style; Consumer attitudes; Consumer behavior; Consumers; Cultural differences; Customer relations; Discount department stores; Electronic commerce; Forecasts and trends; Hypotheses; Industry forecasts; Internet; Internet marketing; Kognition; Konsumentenverhalten; Management; Marketing; Online-Handel; Original Empirical Research; Perceptions; Purchase intention; Retail industry; Retail stores; Retailing industry; Social Sciences; Studies; Südkorea; USA; Vertriebsweg; United States; South Korea; United States > US; Image congruence; Multi-channel retailing; Online purchase intentions; Trust and attitude transference; Analytic versus holistic thinking styles
• ISSN: 0092-0703; 1552-7824
• DOI: 10.1007/s11747-010-0239-9

Drawing from research on retailing, online shopping behavior, and theories of cognitive psychology, we develop and test a framework that investigates purchase intentions in online stores of multi-channel retailers. The framework simultaneously examines the influence of transference of attitude and trust from the multi-channel retailer’s physical to online stores, image congruence between the multi-channel retailer’s physical and online stores, and image congruence between the multi-channel retailer’s online store and a prototypical online store. Further, recognizing that several retailers now operate as multi-channel retailers in different countries, we examine the influence of cultural differences in thought processes (i.e., holistic versus analytic thinking) on shoppers’ evaluation of online stores of multi-channel retailers. Toward this end, we test the framework using data collected from respondents in the U.S. (analytic thinkers) and South Korea (holistic thinkers). We conclude with a discussion of the findings, suggestions for future research, and potential limitations.