ch.3 terms

channel migration

A customer practice in which customers search for information from a retailer's channel, then purchase in a different channel maintained by a competitor.

vending machine

A nonstore format in which merchandise or services are stored in a machine and dispensed to customers when they deposit cash or use a credit card.

catalog channel

A nonstore retailer that communicates directly with customers using catalogs sent through the mail.

showrooming

A practice in which customers visit stores to interact with a physical product and receive sales assistance, then purchase it through a less expensive channel, such as online.

direct selling

A retail format in which a salesperson, frequently an independent distributor, contacts a customer directly in a convenient location (either at a customer's home or at work), demonstrates merchandise benefits, takes an order, and delivers the merchandise to the customer.

Internet retailing

A retail format in which retailers communicate with customers and offer products and services for sale over the Internet.

cross-channel retailing

A type of marketing channel in which customers use multiple channels to make purchases, such as when they receive an e-mailed coupon, download it onto their smartphone, and then go to a store to redeem the coupon and buy the product.

social retailing

Conducting purchase transactions through a social media site. Also called s-retailing.

omnichannel retailing

Coordinated multichannel retail offering that ensures a seamless customer experience across all the retailer's channels.

m-commerce.

Internet channels accessed through tablets, smartphones, or other handheld devices. Also known as mobile marketing, mobile commerce, or mobile retailing

multichannel retailing

Selling merchandise or services through more than one channel.

single-channel retailing

Selling merchandise or services through only one channel.

live chat

Technology that enables online customers to access an instant messaging or voice conversation with a sales representative in real time.

retail channel

The means by which a retailer sells and delivers merchandise to customers.

automated retailing

a retail channel that stores merchandise or services in a machine, then dispenses them to customers who provide cash or credit card