An Evaluation of Multichannel Shopping at PetSmart

Introduction

In an effort to gain a competitive advantage over purely online retailers, local retailers are increasingly employing multichannel marketing strategies that allow customers to order online and pick up their purchases at the local store. Commonly referred to as click-and-brick or click-and-mortar marketing, an in-store pickup option offers shoppers the best of both worlds in that they can avoid shipping costs, obtain their products relatively quickly, avoid crowds, and save time through an expedited checkout (Mahar, Wright, Bretthauer, & Hill, 2014). This paper describes a click-and-brick shopping experience at petsmart.com® and the local PetSmart® store.