We investigate the role of the physical store in today’s multichannel environment. We posit that one benefit of the store to the retailer is to enhance customer value by providing the physical engagement needed to purchase deep products – products that require ample inspection in order for customers to make an informed decision. Using a multi-method approach involving a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) of transaction data and two experiments, we find that buying deep products in the physical store transitions customers to the high-value state more than other product/channel combinations. Findings confirm the hypotheses derived from experiential learning theory (ELT). A moderated serial mediation test supports the ELT-based mechanism for translating physical engagement into customer value: Customers purchase a deep product from the physical store. They reflect on this physical engagement experience, which, because it is tangible, concrete, and multi-sensory, enables them to develop strong learnings about the retailer. This experiential knowledge precipitates repatronage and generalizes to future online purchases online in the same category and in adjacent categories, thus contributing to higher customer value. This research suggests multichannel retailers use a combination of right-channel and right-product strategies for customer development and provides implications for experiential retail designs.

我们研究了实体商店在当今多渠道环境中的作用。我们认为商店对零售商的好处是通过提供购买深层产品所需的实际参与来提高客户价值–需要充分检查以使客户做出明智决定的产品。使用涉及交易数据的隐马尔可夫模型（HMM）和两个实验的多方法方法，我们发现在实体商店中购买深层产品比其他产品/渠道组合更能将客户转变为高价值状态。研究结果证实了源自经验学习理论（ELT）的假设。适度的串行调解测试支持基于ELT的机制，可将实际参与转化为客户价值：客户从实体商店购买深层产品。他们会反思这种身体接触的经历，因为它是有形的，具体的和多感官的，因此使他们能够深入了解零售商。这些经验知识促进了客户的回馈，并推广到了将来在同一类别和相邻类别中在线进行的在线购买，从而为更高的客户价值做出了贡献。这项研究表明，多渠道零售商会结合使用正确渠道以及针对客户开发的正确产品策略，并为体验式零售设计提供了启示。