What implications does an omnichannel strategy have on customer loyalty for fashion retailers in Sweden?

Abstract: This paper is about the omnichannel marketing strategy, defined by Levy, M., Weitz, B., and Grewal, D. (2013) as, “a coordinated multichannel offering that provides a seamless experience when using all of the retailer’s shopping channels”. This is an evolution of the multichannel marketing strategy and a topic that remains underexplored in the academic world. The aim of the omnichannel strategy is to expand the available touch points and combine the advantages of the interactive aspect of a physical store with the information-rich experience aspect of online shopping (Frazer & Stiehler, 2014). This paper is focused on the fashion retail industry in Sweden, an industry worth 206 billion Swedish SEK turnover in 2011 (Volante Research, 2015), which has seen a steady growth in the use of online shopping services.   The purpose of this paper is to explore what implications an omnichannel strategy may have on customer loyalty in the fashion industry in Sweden. The method used to assess the potential implications involved five focus group sessions with a total of twenty-five millennial participants. The primary and secondary information gathered was broken down and analysed using a conceptual model, inspired by existing theories, developed specifically for this paper. This analysis lead to the conclusion that, although the omnichannel strategy can provide benefits for customers and ease the shopping experience, customers do not see the strategy as being a make or break factor in their satisfaction and loyalty development.