Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to create an understanding of whether a company's development work with creating a high degree of integration is of relevance to consumers. This because there are shared opinions about consumer behaviour in a multi-channel environment. Method: The survey methodology used in this study is qualitative study. The collected data was made through focus group interviews which represent the primary data. The secondary data consists of previous research. Conclusion: The conclusion from this study shows that channel integration in many cases gives a positive attitude towards consumers. However, there are exceptions where channel integration is not attractive or sought after. Instead attributes are more in focus. But overall, channel integration has a positive impact on consumers / Syfte: Studiens huvudsakliga syfte är att skapa en förståelse kring huruvida ett företags utvecklingsarbete med att skapa en hög grad integration är av relevans enligt konsumenterna, då det råder skilda meningar från tidigare forskning. Metod: Den utförda undersökningsmetod som används i denna studie är en kvalitativ under-sökning. Där den insamlade datan gjordes genom fokusgruppsintervjuer, vilket representerar den primära datan. Den sekundära datan bestårav tidigare forskning. Det utfördes sedan en jämförelse mellan primär och sekundär data. Slutsats: Studiens slutsats visar på att konsumenter erhåller en positiv attitydtill kanal-integration, men det finns dock undantag där kanalintegration inte är lika eftertraktat och attraktivt där attribut står mer i fokus. Men överlag visas kanalintegration ha en positiv inverkan på konsumenters attityd.

Syftet för studien är att öka förståelsen för den valda konsumentgruppens konsumentbeteende i livsmedelsföretagens omni-kanaler. Förståelsen för konsumentbeteendet skall ökas genom att se på studiens tre delar, konsumtionsvärde, kanalanvändning och kanalintegration i relation till köpprocessen. Samt att syftet är att se på likheter och skillnader i konsumentbeteendet för män respektive kvinnor. Studien är utförd med en kvantitativ undersökningsmetod. Primärdata har samlats in vid genomförandet av en enkätundersökning som jämförts med sekundärdata som består av litteratur och tidigare forskning. Slutsatsen som kan dras av denna studie är att konsumentgruppen handlar livsmedel med störst del utilitaristiska konsumtionsvärden för att uppleva nytta och effektivitet genom köpprocessen. Det speglas även i de kanalval som görs genom köpprocessen där en slutsats är att fysisk butik fyller en viktig roll. Men att konsumentgruppen även kan tänka sig att kombinera fysisk butik med online och mobil kanal för att uppleva nytta. Störst användning av flera kanaler förväntas ske i samband med informationssökningen. Kanalintegrationen för konsumentgruppen förväntas ha en viktig betydelse för att de ska bli tillfredsställda i flera kanaler. Avslutningsvis har inga större skillnader mellan män och kvinnor kunnat påvisas i studien för konsumentbeteendet i flera kanaler. / The purpose of the study is to increase understanding of the selected consumer group consumer behavior in food retailers omni-channels. The understanding of consumer behavior should be increased by ensuring the study's three parts, the consumption value, channel usage and channel integration in relation to the buying process. Another purpose of the study is to investigate similarities and differences in consumer behavior for men and women respectively.  The study is designed with a quantitative research method. Primary data has been gathered in the implementation of a survey that compared with secondary data consisting of literature and previous research. The conclusion to be drawn from this study is that the consumer group's food with the greatest number of practical consumption values to experience the benefits and efficiency through the buying process. It is also reflected in the channel selection made by the buying process in which a conclusion is that the physical store plays an important role. But consumer group may also consider combining physical store with online and mobile channel to experience the benefits. The greatest use of multiple channels is expected to occur in connection with the search for information. Channel integration for the consumer group is expected to have a major importance for them to be satisfied in multiple channels. Finally, no major differences between men and women has been demonstrated in the study of consumer behavior in multiple channels.

With the rise of the Internet and the emergence of online shopping, traditional retailing has transformed substantially. Retailers have developed multichannel strategies and, in particular, have integrated their offline channels with online channels. Such an integration of offline and online channels is associated with the concept of cross-channel integration. This cumulative dissertation aims to investigate cross-channel integration holistically from a demand point of view and a supply point of view. It consists of four independent studies embedded in an overarching introduction and conclusion part. The first study provides the conceptual base by conducting a systematic literature review. It identifies, analyzes, structures, and extracts 169 publications in the research field of cross-channel integration and concludes by suggesting two dominant paths for future research. These two research directions are addressed in three subsequent empirical studies. One empirical study focuses on the consumer perspective by investigating channel switching behavior. It finds that customers have a fundamental need for certainty within and after the buying process when it comes to channel switching. The remaining two studies are related to the supply side of cross-channel integration and investigate effects of strategies, retailers can deploy when integrating channels. One study assesses the profitability of a channel addition. It establishes that adding an offline store to online channels increases profits absolutely, but reduces the profit margin in the short run. The other study related to the supply side conceptualizes cross-channel technologies along the customer’s purchase process and experimentally assesses one of these technologies. Finally, based on the insights of the four independent studies, the dissertation concludes by summarizing the contribution and by deriving overarching implications for researchers and practitioners, the latter are equipped with a checklist for cross-channel integration.