The Effect of Omni-Channel Strategy Factors on Channel Reliability: Mediating Effect of Customer Experience

Purpose: In recent years, with the rapid rise of omnichannel retailing, the retail environment has been undergoing significant changes. Consequently, omnichannel strategy is becoming increasingly crucial in the retail industry. To meet the evolving demands of customers due to continuous shifts in customer behavior, it is essential to provide an integrated omnichannel experience. This study aims to explore the impact of omnichannel strategy factors on channel reliability and investigate how customer experience influences the relationship between omnichannel strategy factors and channel reliability. Research design, data, and methodology: In order to achieve the research objectives, a survey was conducted targeting consumers with omnichannel experience. The survey was distributed online utilizing both personal contacts and external panels. Among the collected data, 216 responses were used for hypothesis testing. Data analysis, examining relationships between variables, was conducted using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 26.0. Results: The main results of this study are as follows. First, only fulfillment of omnichannel strategy have a positive effect on channel reliability, and most factors have no effect. Second, customer experience was found to largely mediate the relationship between omni-channel strategy factors and channel reliability. Implications: This study confirms that relying solely on the omnichannel strategy elements of integration, seamlessness, fulfillment, ease of use, and ubiquity does not ensure high reliability for customers. In omnichannel management, the process of increasing positive customer experience was found to be very important in increasing channel reliability.