The channel transformation to omni-channel is currently in progress in the retail industry. For the progress to occur, facilitating meaningful experiences of customers in their customer journeys, capturing such experiences through various channels and touch points, and then analyzing the information acquired as big data are required (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). With the increase in the number of customer experiences being observed through the internet and mobile communication, the focus is now on engagement. However, there have not yet been many studies conducted to deliberate comprehensively on how the engagements of behavioral aspects captured through various channels and the evaluation indicators of customers, as represented by the RFM or LTV, are related in a broader sense. The purpose of this research is to clarify the relational structure from a comprehensive perspective that are not constrained by monetary amounts. This paper showed results using data from the retailer. This research is divided broadly into two stages. The first stage identifies the engagements of behavioral aspects and the relationship between the respective behaviors, as well as the typification of behavioral patterns. The second stage involves clarifying the relationship between the customer’s evaluation indicators and engagement behaviors. The engagement behaviors are basically correlated with RFM, however authors found that there is no relationship between specific engagement behavior and RFM in the group of low rank customers. On the other hand, using different types of services or shops from the core business strengthens the customer relationship. Finally, the relationship between the types of engagement behaviors and the respective customer evaluation indicators is presented in the conclusion.
It was Macy’s (a department store in the U.S.) which introduced the concept of ‘omnichannel’ in 2010 for the first time, and, at present, representative U.S. retailers have also adopted the approach. In Japan, the effort to interlock real and Internet stores started around the same time. Big retailers have promoted its omnichannel strategies by providing services in which customers can order merchandise on the Internet and receive it in a store.
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of the Japanese type of omnichannel by comparing it to the U.S. type.
Rigby (2011) defines omnichannel as “an integrated sales experience that melds the advantages of physical stores with the information-rich experience of online shopping.” Lazaris & Vrechopoulos (2014) refer to it as “the use of both physical and online channels combined with the delivery of seamless shopping experiences.” Kondo (2015) understands it as “a marketing approach that integrates all (omni) channels and provides consumers with a seamless shopping experience.”