When showrooming is not a threat: Uncovering opportunities for showroomer retention

Showrooming is an increasingly common behavior that challenges the profitability of store-based retailers when the purchase is done at a competing online retailer. However, showrooming can also be a loyal behavior, although few studies differentiate between loyal and competitive showrooming. This study aims to provide multichannel retailers with knowledge about how to retain consumers who enter their stores with the intention to showroom. To this end, the influence of situational variables and loyalty towards the retailer are considered. With information from 466 showroomers and applying the fsQCA methodology, the results allow us to conclude that online price advantage and salesperson quality play a role in favoring loyal showrooming and preventing competitive showrooming respectively. Additionally, product category and the purchase device influence the transition from competitive showrooming intention to behavior. From these results, several managerial implications are proposed for store-based retailers