Showrooming versus webrooming: Examining motivational differences in omnichannel exploratory behaviors

ABSTRACT This study investigates the differences between showrooming and webrooming from the exploratory behavioral perspective. Based on the epistemic theory of curiosity, this study tests a conceptual model delineating two independent variables (i.e., interest- and deprivation-curiosity), two mediating variables (i.e., market mavenism, consumer innovativeness), and two dependent variables (i.e., actual showrooming experience, actual webrooming experience). A total of 358 participants were recruited through Amazon M Turk, and structural equation modelling analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. The study revealed that market mavenism mediates between interest-curiosity and webrooming, whereas consumer innovativeness mediates between deprivation-curiosity and both showrooming and webrooming. This indicates that showroomers and webroomers have different characteristics and are driven by different motivational factors. The study makes theoretical contributions as it provides a novel approach to examining the differences between showrooming and webrooming behavior. Further, practical implications to provide a novel experience are suggested for omnichannel retailers.