Showrooming, webrooming 
and outshopping: 
How to address these new 
consumer behaviors 
Sylvain Sénécal, Ph.D. 
October 2014 
DTLQC
In the next 30 minutes… 
 What are showrooming, webrooming, and 
outshopping? 
 Are they important phenomena in Canada? 
 What can retailers do about them? 
 Concluding remarks
www.adexchanger.com
Price Check (by Amazon)
Bizzreport.com 
From a competitor
Outshopping: 
Online cross border shopping
So what? 
Are they important 
phenomena in Canada?
In order to answer these questions… 
 Survey of Canadian consumers in 2012 and 2014 
 Samples: 1501 (2012) and 1507 (2014)
Showrooming evolution in Canada 
Purchase 
(n=242/363) 
SP in 
store 
(n=617/805) 
Smartphone 
(SP) 
(n= 1501/1507) 
Data plan 
41%→53% 
Yes 
39%→46% 
In store 
52%→58% 
Retailer’s website 
11%→13% 
Competitor’s 
website 
5%→5% 
Competitor’s 
store 
9%→6% 
No purchase 
23%→17% 
No 
61%→54% 
2012→2014 
63%→71% 
14%→11% 
23%→17%
Price, service, and product aavailability (2014) 
Reasons for Showrooming (or not) 
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 
Other reasons 
Product availability 
Better service 
Better price 
Purchase from competitor 
Purchase from retailer
Product prices and showrooming (2012) 
Any price; 46% 
At least 100$; 
At least 50$; 
24% 
24% 
At least 200$; 
6%
Webrooming in Canada (2014) 
Webrooming 
- Purchase 
from same 
retailer 
40% 
Webrooming 
- Purchase 
from a 
competitor 
9% 
No 
51% 
Webrooming
Outshopping 
62% of $ spent online by Canadians 
31% 
7% 
38%
Younger shoppers 
50% 
45% 
40% 
35% 
30% 
25% 
20% 
15% 
10% 
5% 
0% 
Outshopping and Age 
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Paypalobjects.com
What can Canadian retailers do?
About outshopping 
 Competitive offering (relative to US retailers) 
 Product assortment 
 Price + Service = Value 
 Trust & ethnocentrism 
 « Buy from a trusted and local retailer » 
 Secondary costs 
 « No additional costs or surprises »
About showrooming & webrooming 
 Attract: 
 Multichannel strategy « web-to-store » and « store-to-web » 
 Same prices and assortment across channels 
 Sales promotions linking web and stores 
 In-store pickup, in-store ordering 
 Convert : 
 Competitive prices and price matching guaranty 
 Service 
 Mobile coupons 
 Free Wi-Fi! 
 Retain 
 Product returns across channels 
 Loyalty program 
 Exclusive brands 
 Strong private brands/labels
Concluding remarks
You can forget these buzzwords, but not 
that… 
 Consumers are well-equipped to compare 
products and services when and where they 
want to. 
 Focus: Competitive offering 
 Consumers want seamless experiences within 
and across channels; 
 They will select the most efficient channel for 
their current needs. 
 Focus: Customer experience
It’s called SHOPPING (in 2014) 
25 
Your Channels Your Competitors’ 
Consumer 
Decision-making 
stage 
Website 
(Non-mobile 
device) 
Store Call Center Website or 
App 
(Mobile 
device) 
Website 
(Non-mobile 
device) 
Store Call Center Website or 
App 
(Mobile 
device) 
Information 
search 
Evaluation 
Purchase 
Good old days! 
Outshopping (if international) 
Webrooming 
Showrooming
Thank you! 
ss@hec.ca 
chairerbc.com 
imarklab.com
Commerce: Outshopping 
H2b 
.57 (15.19) 
H1 
.15 (3.27) 
H4 
.15 (4.65) 
H2a 
.45 (12.77) 
H6b 
- .15 (4.70) 
H6a 
- .11 (2.69) 
Ethnocentrism 
Skills in Foreign 
e-Retailers Language 
Trust in the 
Foreign E-Retailers 
Offer 
Competitiveness of 
Foreign E-Retailers Intention to Perform 
Online International 
Outshopping 
H3b 
- .13 (3.32) 
H5b 
.16 (4.99) 
.25 (7.83) 
H3a 
- .46 (11.79) 
H5a 
.08 (2.66) 
.13(3.92) 
Secondary Costs 
Susceptibility to 
Interpersonal 
Influence 
Sénécal, Boeuf et Aljukhadar (2014)

Showrooming, Webrooming and Outshopping: How to Address These New Consumer Behaviors

  • 1.
    Showrooming, webrooming andoutshopping: How to address these new consumer behaviors Sylvain Sénécal, Ph.D. October 2014 DTLQC
  • 2.
    In the next30 minutes…  What are showrooming, webrooming, and outshopping?  Are they important phenomena in Canada?  What can retailers do about them?  Concluding remarks
  • 4.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 9.
    So what? Arethey important phenomena in Canada?
  • 10.
    In order toanswer these questions…  Survey of Canadian consumers in 2012 and 2014  Samples: 1501 (2012) and 1507 (2014)
  • 11.
    Showrooming evolution inCanada Purchase (n=242/363) SP in store (n=617/805) Smartphone (SP) (n= 1501/1507) Data plan 41%→53% Yes 39%→46% In store 52%→58% Retailer’s website 11%→13% Competitor’s website 5%→5% Competitor’s store 9%→6% No purchase 23%→17% No 61%→54% 2012→2014 63%→71% 14%→11% 23%→17%
  • 12.
    Price, service, andproduct aavailability (2014) Reasons for Showrooming (or not) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Other reasons Product availability Better service Better price Purchase from competitor Purchase from retailer
  • 13.
    Product prices andshowrooming (2012) Any price; 46% At least 100$; At least 50$; 24% 24% At least 200$; 6%
  • 15.
    Webrooming in Canada(2014) Webrooming - Purchase from same retailer 40% Webrooming - Purchase from a competitor 9% No 51% Webrooming
  • 17.
    Outshopping 62% of$ spent online by Canadians 31% 7% 38%
  • 18.
    Younger shoppers 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Outshopping and Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
  • 19.
  • 20.
    What can Canadianretailers do?
  • 21.
    About outshopping Competitive offering (relative to US retailers)  Product assortment  Price + Service = Value  Trust & ethnocentrism  « Buy from a trusted and local retailer »  Secondary costs  « No additional costs or surprises »
  • 22.
    About showrooming &webrooming  Attract:  Multichannel strategy « web-to-store » and « store-to-web »  Same prices and assortment across channels  Sales promotions linking web and stores  In-store pickup, in-store ordering  Convert :  Competitive prices and price matching guaranty  Service  Mobile coupons  Free Wi-Fi!  Retain  Product returns across channels  Loyalty program  Exclusive brands  Strong private brands/labels
  • 23.
  • 24.
    You can forgetthese buzzwords, but not that…  Consumers are well-equipped to compare products and services when and where they want to.  Focus: Competitive offering  Consumers want seamless experiences within and across channels;  They will select the most efficient channel for their current needs.  Focus: Customer experience
  • 25.
    It’s called SHOPPING(in 2014) 25 Your Channels Your Competitors’ Consumer Decision-making stage Website (Non-mobile device) Store Call Center Website or App (Mobile device) Website (Non-mobile device) Store Call Center Website or App (Mobile device) Information search Evaluation Purchase Good old days! Outshopping (if international) Webrooming Showrooming
  • 26.
    Thank you! [email protected] chairerbc.com imarklab.com
  • 27.
    Commerce: Outshopping H2b .57 (15.19) H1 .15 (3.27) H4 .15 (4.65) H2a .45 (12.77) H6b - .15 (4.70) H6a - .11 (2.69) Ethnocentrism Skills in Foreign e-Retailers Language Trust in the Foreign E-Retailers Offer Competitiveness of Foreign E-Retailers Intention to Perform Online International Outshopping H3b - .13 (3.32) H5b .16 (4.99) .25 (7.83) H3a - .46 (11.79) H5a .08 (2.66) .13(3.92) Secondary Costs Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence Sénécal, Boeuf et Aljukhadar (2014)