Customer Right-Channeling : Conceptual Development and Experimental Evidence of Channel Migration Encouragement

Our study examines how firms may encourage customers to migrate between channels in a multichannel environment. We use the PPM-Model of human migration to explain customer right-channeling and conduct two experiments of stationary retail to online migration. Our results suggest that the intention to use the target channel can be increased by reducing the assortment in the current (push measures) and enlarging the assortment in the desired (pull measures) channel. Furthermore, switching costs moderate the impact of both measures. Based on our qualitative work and empirical results, we provide guidelines to managers of how to successfully right-channel their customers.