Syfte: Vårt syfte med denna studie är att ur ett företagsperspektiv undersöka hur köpkanaler kan integreras för att skapa kundvärde. Forskningsfrågor: Hur kan företag möta olika målgruppers behov genom att använda omnikanaler? Hur kan företag underlätta kunders vardag genom att använda omnikanaler? Hur kan företag förenkla kunders köpbeslut genom att använda omnikanaler? Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär, med en kombination av induktiv och deduktiv ansats. Den empiriska datan är insamlad genom sju semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: Livsmedelssektorn genomgår idag en revolutionerande förändring där den försöker integrera köpkanaler och anpassa sig i en omnihandel. Kunden är idag mer medveten och aktiv än vad den någonsin tidigare varit, varefter den ställer högre krav på att företag ska förse dem med praktiska lösningar som genererar höga kundvärde. Studien resultat påvisar att det existerar en viss osäkerhet vid köpbeslut via online handel och vi kan konstatera att företag kan möta denna problematik genom att förse kunden med produktinformation samt skapande av förtroende. Studiens resultat indikerar på att företag bättre kan möta kunders behov och önskningar om de använder sig av psykografiska variabler vid segmentering. Genom att aktivt ta ställningstagande för hållbar utveckling kan företag attrahera den medvetna och aktiva kunden som förekommer på dagens marknad. Vi kan konstatera att kunden vill handla när, var och hur den vill vilket ställer krav på tillgänglighet och integration av köpkanaler. Studien har även påvisat att livsmedelssektorn inte implementerat mobila applikationer i den mån kunden önskar, men att detta är under utveckling. Teoretiskt bidrag: Studien bidrar med riktlinjer vilka kan följas vid utvecklingsarbetet gällande omnihandeln. Förslag till framtida forskning: Livsmedelssektorn har idag börjat integrera köpkanalerna för att möta kundernas krav och behov, men som framkommit ur studien finns det en problematik kring att skapa lönsamhet av denna verksamhet. Vi föreslår därför vidare undersökningar som fokuserar på hur aktörer inom livsmedelssektorn kan skapa lönsamhet i en omnihandel. / Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate from a business perspective how purchase channels can be integrated to create customer value. Research Questions: How can companies meet the needs of different target groups by using omnichannels? How can companies facilitate customers daily lifes by using omnichannels? How can companies simplify customers purchase decision by using omnichannels? Method: The study is of qualitative character, with a combination of an inductive and deductive approach. The empirical data has been collected through eight semi-structured interviews.  Conclusion: The food industry is experiencing a revolutionary change where it tries to integrate buying channels and adjust to an omnichannel environment. Today’s customer is more aware and active than it ever has been before, from what their demands are higher on the companies to provide them with practical solutions, which generate high customer value. The study shows that certain insecurity exists concerning the buying decision online and we note that companies can meet these problems by providing the customers with product information and trust creation. The result of the study indicates that companies can meet the needs and wishes of their customers in a better way by using the psychographics variable when segmenting.  By actively taking a stand for sustainable development companies can attract the conscious and active customer present on todays market. We can conclude that the customer wants to shop when, where and how it wants to which requires availability and integration of buying channels. The study has also shown that the food industry not yet implemented mobile applications to the extend the customer wishes, but that it’s developing. Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes with guidelines, which can be followed in the progress work concerning the omnichannels. Suggestion for future research: The food industry has today begun to integrate buying channels to meet customer demands and needs, but that emerged from the study, there is a problem on creating profitability. We therefore suggest further research that focuses on how companies in the food industry can create profitability in an omnichannel world.

As the pandemic of COVID-19 is still affecting peoples’ lives in various ways, it is not surprising that it affects consumer behaviour as well. This paper focuses on the changes in consumer behaviour, more specifically on the changes in consumer shopping channel preferences due to the pandemic. Furthermore, it was of interest whether these changes are likely to be long-term, and influence consumer shopping behaviour in the corona-free future. To answer the research question: “How did the pandemic affect consumers’ preferred shopping channels, and are those changes long-term?” a qualitative study was conducted. The study consisted of ten interviews, five of which were with consumers who spent most of the pandemic in Sweden, and five with respondents who spent most of the pandemic in Slovakia. This way, the study compares the responses and thus changes in consumer shopping behaviour and channel preferences of consumers who have experienced different levels of restrictions and recommendations as a response to the pandemic. Indeed, Slovakia’s response to the corona pandemic was much more severe and included much more, longer-lasting, restrictions affecting/restricting consumer shopping.   The study showed that despite the countries adopting very different responses to the pandemic, the consumers changed their shopping behaviour in a rather similar way. Most of the respondents stated that they started shopping less due to the pandemic and that they shopped more online. The main reasons for these developments were (1) reduced need for new clothing during the corona pandemic, (2) stores being closed, and/or (3) consumers trying to reduce their contact with others and keep their distance. However, when asked whether these changes in their behaviour are going to persist into the far future, the responses differed. A portion of respondents stated they will continue to shop online more than prior to the pandemic, while still shopping in traditional, offline, stores as well. Some other respondents, however, stated that they will return to in-store shopping as soon as possible. From these findings, it is clear that shopping for clothes via offline channels will still be important and preferred by many, despite the rise of technologies and online shopping possibilities.   The study contributes to the literature on the corona pandemic and its effects on consumer behaviour, the field of consumer behaviour in general, consumer shopping channel preferences, channel switching intentions, omnichannel literature, and the online shopping literature.

Abstract This paper studies the audience¡¦s motivation in watching ¡§shopping channels¡¨ in cable television (TV) program, the relationship between watching and shopping behaviors, and investigate factors influence motivation and behaviors. The subjects are cable TV audience. The method is by telephone to find audiences¡¦ response to the questionnaire. Through data collection and statistic analysis the results show that the major motivations for audiences to watch ¡§shopping channels¡¨ are ¡§needs to information¡¨, ¡§entertainments¡¨ and ¡§social activity¡¨. Among these three, ¡§ needs to information¡¨ has the most correspondent. For watching behavior¡¦s aspect, the frequency of receiving ¡§shopping channels¡¨ is low. There are only 4.1% of responding rate in ¡§often watch¡¨ and ¡§daily watch¡¨. The most frequent watching hour is between 19~23 o¡¦clock as the rest of the local people in receiving other programs. However, the watching time is within 30 minutes every time (89.8%). In respect of shopping behavior, there are 57.6% shares of respondent express they will ¡§compare with other stores¡¨ or ¡§to listen to other¡¦s opinion¡¨ before decisions of shopping. This category belongs to reasonable type of shoppers. For shopping frequency, there are about 70% respondents express ¡§never buy¡¨, and around 30% expresses having shopping experiences in cable TV ¡§shopping channel¡¨. Concerning the shopping products, there are mainly 6 categories in sequential. The kitchen utensils share the most (32.4%), followed by ¡§cleaning products¡¨, ¡§fitness products¡¨, ¡§weight lost, weight control or on diet products¡¨, ¡§cosmetics¡¦, and ¡§electronic products¡¨. The study also finds personal traits will influence the audiences¡¦ ¡§watching motivation¡¨ ¡§watching behavior¡¨ and ¡§shopping behavior¡¨. For educational background consideration, the study shows respondents with higher educational level have less watching time and shopping frequencies in ¡§shopping channel¡¨. Hence, this is not the major consuming group for ¡§shopping channel¡¨, in stead they tends to be looking for ¡§entertainments¡¨ purposes. For junior high school level of education have highest shopping frequency (47.5%). Hence ¡§needs to information¡¨ has most of the watching motivation (63.9%). In behaviors wise, students have the least watching frequency and time, belongs to the group of ¡§ listen to other¡¦s opinion, then make decisions¡¨ category. Housewives are the major consuming group for ¡§shopping channel¡¨. The research also finds the ¡§watch time¡¨ will influence the ¡§shopping motivation¡¨. The longer the watching hour is, the stronger the shopping motivation. Shoppers being ¡¨reasonable¡¦ has less watching hour. This means the ¡§watching frequency¡¨ and ¡§watching time¡¨ have positive relationship to shopping behaviors. ¡§Shopping channel¡¨ is one the most popular channels in USA. It is also developing in promising direction with market potential in Mainland China. In Taiwan, as individual system develops, there are many more ¡§shopping channels¡¨ available. This reflects the competing situation. However, while the writer looks for broad casting, or management institutions, there has no study at all focusing on this type of channel yet. This research takes initials of ¡§quantitize¡¨ consideration to provide some contributions in mediating behavior for audiences, system operators, and channel operators.