• Korean Management Science Review
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.77-89
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• 2016

Due to recent proliferation of the mobile shopping channels, customers increasingly tend to purchase using online channel while experiencing physical products in offline shops. This phenomenon requires traditional offline retailers to consider integrating online channels. In this study, we propose strategic options for the traditional offline retailers regarding the online channel integration, and provide corresponding decision models to maximize the expected profits. We also investigate how the strategic options vary with the product characteristics, by categorizing the products based on inventory cost, demand uncertainty, and fitness to the online channels. By analyzing numerical examples we illustrate how the best online channel integration strategy should be differentiated depending on the product categories.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.909-923
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• 2018

Online retailers' offline channel expansion is rapidly growing as an important consumer incentive strategy, despite the enormous initial costs of establishing a store. This study focuses on the offline channel operation of online shopping malls, and examines the effects and influencing factors of the channel expansion strategy from a consumer perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten customers in their 20s and 30s who had visited online retailers' stores or purchased products. Major issues were extracted based on the framework of a channel effect mechanism proposed by Cao and Li (2015). Subsequently, it was found that existing online retailers could enhance brand image and perception by expanding their channels to offline stores. It was also emphasized that the consumer trust on the quality of the product in offline stores is a key variable, and it has a significant influence on consumer's continuous purchase and revisit intention. This study showed that borderless channel integration was the most important task when expanding channels of online retailers. So it will be necessary to strive for an omni-channel strategy so that channel integration can be strategically executed and consumers can interact regardless of channels.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.23-32
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• 2021

Purpose: By integrating multiple separate online, offline distribution channels, omnichannel distribution has modernized and revolutionized the retailing sector. Omnichannel distribution supports firms by delivering seamless shopping experiences for customers throughout all touchpoints of the shopping journey. This paper aims at exploring the impact of channel integration quality on customer experience and patronage intentions in the omnichannel distribution context. Research design, data and methodology: An online survey was taken with 351 omnichannel experienced shoppers by utilizing the structured questionnaire. The partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and Smart PLS software were employed to analyze and test proposed hypotheses. Results: The findings reveal that channel integration quality dimensions including breadth of channel-service choice, transparency of channel-service configuration, content consistency, and process consistency, play crucial roles in the customer shopping experience. The perceived compatibility has been influenced by the integrated interactions in which content consistency and process consistency. The findings also demonstrate the positive and direct impact of perceived compatibility on customer experience, and both factors have substantial effects on customers' patronage intentions. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the literature on channel integration quality, omnichannel retailing experience and customer patronage. In addition, this study provides practical implications for omnichannel retailers in enhancing customer experience and patronage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.601-611
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• 2011

This research evaluates the availability of consumers moving to integrated multi channels by a target analysis on the integrated online channel and verifies the possibility of a synergy effect created by the expansion of an integrated online channel. The objectives are to define the scope of benefits desired in fast fashion and online shopping, compare the desired benefits of fast fashion consumers, online shopping consumers and fast fashion, and online shopping consumers, investigate the acceptance intention of the integrated online channel of consumers, and verity its relationship with the desired benefits. As a result, all consumers indicate the desire to pursue social recognition, pleasure, individuality, economic and convenience orientation, and fashion-innovativeness through shopping activities. In addition, there were differences in the mean of social recognition benefit individuality benefit, economical and convenience orientation benefit, and fashion-innovativeness benefit. Lastly, the acceptance intention of the integrated online channel was significant in all groups and the desired benefits that affect the acceptance intention of the integrated online channel were social recognition for fast fashion consumers along with pleasure and individuality for fast fashion and online shopping consumers.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.29-49
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• 2022

Consumers are now no longer satisfied with using a single channel to shop and then desire a smooth and consistent purchasing experience across channels. By integrating different channels and services, an omni-channel strategy allows consumers to choose their preferred channel to complete their shopping tasks. Therefore, large retailers in China have recently been transforming into omni-channel retail formats to secure their competitive advantage. To better implement this strategy and optimize its effectiveness, it is important to understand how consumers respond to the quality of channel integration. Based on social exchange theory (SET), the main purposes of this study are to explore the impact of channel integration quality on consumer engagement in the Chinese omni-channel retailing environment and to further examine whether there is a moderating effect of consumer empowerment on this relationship. To test this research model, we collected data from 330 respondents by conducting an online questionnaire in China. The results indicated that the two dimensions of channel integration (breadth of channel-service choice and transparency of channel-service configuration) positively affected two dimensions of customer engagement (conscious attention and enthusiastic participation), respectively. The findings also show that consumer empowerment only positively moderates the relationship between breadth of channel service choice and conscious attention, whereas it negatively moderates the relationship between transparency of channel-service configuration and conscious attention/enthusiastic participation. Given these results, this study deepens our understanding of the impact of the quality of channel integration on customer engagement in the context of omni-channel retailing in China and sheds light on how retailers can attract consumers with different levels of empowerment.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2003

This study has tried an integrated approach toward consumer response difference between the online internet shopping mall and the off-line department store focusing on the moderating role of shopping value according to shopping situation. This study has analyzed consumer behavior differences between online and off-line channel formats in one framework and identified differences in consumer behaviors between the two channel formats. Managerial implications of this paper include measuring the effects of the integration of online and off-line channel and developing multichannel strategy. This paper suggests marketers to develop channel strategies based on customer segmentation criteria reflecting different consumer shopping value between online and off-line channel formats rather than developing strategies based only on the conventional marketing mix.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.18-37
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• 2017

Many retailers have extended their extant online channels (i.e., websites) to mobile channels for communicating with and delivering their products or services to customers. However, retailers have trouble delivering a cohesive and seamless customer experience across the Web and mobile channels. To address this challenge, we propose a way for retailers to enrich customers' seamless experiences across channels by configuring mobile channels (functionality- and interactivity-oriented configurations) along with traditional Web channels. This study theoretically contributes a research framework that posits the role of mobile channels as an extension of existing websites. It also provides practical insight for effectively articulating an e-commerce strategy in cross-channel electronic commerce.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-24
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• 2004

As the dot-com companies realize the importance of the traditional business operations such as product distribution and sourcing, the task of balancing business strategy and operations between electronic commerce and"bricks St mortar"channels is an ongoing challenge. However, there are no generic recipes for formulating business strategy that optimally bridges the physical and virtual operations. In order to provide some guidelines, this study examines the big 3 retailers in Korea, and their"clicks ＆ mortar"strategy, assessing how the activities of each channel are integrated to achieve the synergy effect. This study analyzes the differences in the pattern of integration among the three retailers and traces the causes of those differences. It also figures out the relationship between the degree of integration and performance variables such as growth and cost. Finally. it defines the essential constraints on the process of integration along with managerial implications.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

I conducted empirical analyses of what happens when an offline channel expands to an online channel and whether the pre-existing offline channel's competitive assets (e.g. brand reputation and level of service satisfaction) can be linked to online channel preference. I found that an offline channel's brand reputation and level of service satisfaction can have a direct influence on offline channel preference and a second-hand influence on online channel preference. Thus, if the competitiveness of the online channel is strong enough and its customers have a higher preference for the offline channel, they will be committed and loyal to the company. The resultant enhanced competitiveness of the offline channel will present opportunities for both present and future success. The main results are the following. First, the management of the distribution channel service quality is more important than that of the brand reputation. Customers' experiences of service and subjective evaluations are not important only as the leading factors in the long-term brand reputation management but also as influential factors in channel preference. SoThus, given that the service quality of the pre-existing channel is not the customers' main concern, a strategy of improving the level of service satisfaction aimed at present customers is more valuable than a wide brand positioning strategy aimed at general and new customers. Second, when an offline channel company establishes an internet shopping mall on an online channel, it is highly likely that the preference and subjective evaluation of the present customers will influence the online channel. This applies not only to the special case of an expansion from an offline intermediary channel to an online one, but also to an online channel acting as an expansion of the business model of a conventional manufacturing or service company: both cases are vertical integrations of marketing channels in an expansion of the distribution channel. My theory applies to a wide range of contexts. Third and finally, any business strategy can grasp the meaning of 'channel expansion. Fundamentally, it is an expansion of the sales activity channel and marketing activity. However, it is also a way of enhancing marketing and sales competitiveness through an expansion to an online or offline channel. The expansion of an offline company to an online channel could be seen not as improvement but as an innovation of the business process by which two goals are achieved with one technique. The former is expected to increase the sales of the offline company, and the latter is also expected to increase sales while also contributing to cost reduction.

• Journal of Advanced Information Technology and Convergence
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.111-123
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• 2020

The core competencies for the 21st century are creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. In recent classes where ICT (information, communication, and technology) is grafted, a lot of efforts are also being made to increase such competencies. According to a research work, ICT is most often used as a communication channel between teachers and students or as an online collaboration tool among students. However, ICT has only played a role as a guideline for instruction, but not included in the curriculum until now. The research on methods how to integrate technology into teaching and learning is in full swing due to the development of technology and the advent of Covid-19. In this paper, we propose a technology integration hierarchy model, namely K-TIHM that can be combined with STEAM education. Since only learning environments have been proposed in the existing research for technology-based STEAM education, our model proposes a series of technology integration hierarchy that can be applied by school age along with STEAM. Also, we analyze the differences in among the Korea's ICT education operation guidelines, the Korea's Software education guidelines, and ours. The proposed model can help developing the primary and secondary school curriculum integrated with technology.