Reflecting upon Omnichannel Retailing: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

Online as well as offline businesses are truly enroute their omnichannel journey. The physical stores are being complemented with online channels e.g., Fabindia, Pantaloons, Lifestyle Stores, etc. These online channels provide consumers with in depth information of the products, push notifications which are based on the location of the customers, customised offers, or home delivery for merchandise which is not available in stores. Similarly, e-businesses e.g., Pepperfry, Nykaa, Lenskart, etc also have services in physical stores. Using these services, customers can browse the internet for product availability at a nearby store before picking up, reserving, or returning their e-purchases. Consumers adopt new retail channels, reject some, or make use of them all concurrently (for example, using a smartphone in a brick-and-mortar store). Due to this the retailers are compelled to offer a consistent and seamless experience during their entire purchase journey.

Before the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, omnichannel was a distinguishing factor for business organisations. But, the pandemic substantially increased its significance. This research aims to offer better comprehension of omnichannel retailing by finding out the theoretical foundations and future research agenda. This study summarizes and develops a consolidated approach to showcase a systematic review of literature of 101 researches conducted in the past 22 years. Different possibilities of beneficial research in the field of omnichannel retailing for practitioners and academicians have also been discussed in the paper.