Understanding the relationship between in-store and online shopping channel choice behaviour of customers: a systematic literature review

The advancement of digital technology and the growth of e-commerce have significantly changed the shopping channel choice behaviour (SCCB) of customers. This article presents a systematic literature review on the SCCB of customers using a hybrid review approach that includes bibliometric analysis and review using ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses’ (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was conducted across the Web of Science and Scopus databases, covering 20 years. The bibliometric analysis was conducted to understand the spatio-temporal trends and frequency analysis in this domain. It also helped us to identify the key themes, such as retail channel dynamics, the impact of customer’s attitudes and motives, socio-economic factors, in-store retail accessibility, and product attributes on SCCB. The bibliometric analysis revealed the emergence of key themes, such as retail channel dynamics, the impact of customer’s attitudes and motives, socio-economic factors, in-store retail accessibility, and product attributes on SCCB. The systematic literature review highlighted significant variations in shopping behaviour across product types. It also elucidated the necessity for targeted research frameworks, particularly in the developing countries. The identified indicators offer actionable insights for practitioners, aiding in the formulation of marketing strategies, targeted market identification, and retail outlet location choices for retailers. This facilitates informed decision-making, enhancing retail performance and consumer engagement in both in-store and online channels.