How to measure quality in multi-channel retailing and not die trying

In multi-channel contexts, interactions between retailers and shoppers may occur in two or more channels along the shopping process. Besides making a revision of both service and e-service quality models, this study proposes a unified model for multi-channel contexts across four dimensions: in-store experience, reliability and fulfillment, security and privacy, and customer service. Moreover, it empirically tests this model using a questionnaire administered to a sample of Spanish shoppers (N = 432) of clothing and apparel. The results suggest an alternative factor configuration of four components: store design; delivery options; reliability, fulfillment and product information; and facilitation of touch and feel experiences. The research includes a practical application example of the resulting conceptualization of quality by exploring the relationship between its dimensions and single-channel or multi-channel behaviors. The results also show that store design has a positive relationship with single-channel behaviors and reliability, and that fulfillment-related aspects are associated with multichannel behavior.