Track: Operations Management

Abstract

Omnichannel translates to an integrated sales experience that melds the advantages of physical stores with the information-rich experience of online shopping.Omnichannel customers are unifying digital with the brick-and mortar
enterprises for searching information and purchasing products. This study aims to identify motivating factors or determinantsfor adoption of omnichannel retailing amongst Indian customers in the context of apparel industry. It also
analyses contextual and hierarchicalinterrelationships amongst identified determinants for developing a structural (or conceptual) model for omnichannel adoption of apparel retailing(OAAR) in India. The study is based on (a)
descriptive research for identifying the determinants for adoption of omnichannel retailing, and (b)Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) approach to understandthe relationship structure amongst theidentified determinants and to develop a structural model for adoption of omnichannel retailing. Based on TISM approach followed, out of various identified determinants for OAAR, it appears that the determinants: technological development, improved shopping experience and integrated supply chain are crucial ones. These determinants also form underlying basisforhabit,
personalization, and social influence. Based on the proposed structural model for OAAR, it is observed that practitioner should invest more resources to have integrated supply chain and technological capabilities such as customer analytics to support cross-channel fulfillments and personalization to aid adoption of omnichannel retailing amongst Indian customers. Further, this study positions the identified determinants in “driving”, “dependent” and
“linkage” clusters based on the direction and intensity of their influence on other determinants using MICMAC analysis.

Keywords
E-commerce, Omnichannel Retailing, Apparel Industry, Total Interpretive Structural Modelling, MICMAC