Denna studie undersöker hur olika beröringspunkter påverkar kundengagemanget inom dagligvaruhandeln. Då trenden går mot att se till kundens helhetsupplevelse inom ett företags ekosystem snarare än det enskilda köpet blir kundengagemang och omnikanal två begrepp som kan ses som högst aktuella att studera när företag idag ska utforma sin beröringspunktarkitektur. Beröringspunkter är alla de kontaktpunkter, såväl fysiska som digitala, mellan ett varumärke och en kund. Dessa beröringspunkter verkar tillsammans och bidrar alla genom omnikanalsperspektivet till en sammansatt kundupplevelse. Skapandet av denna upplevelse kallas tjänstedesign och inbegriper att noggrannt orkestrera den beröringspunktsarkitektur i vilket kunden befinner sig under sin kundresa. Vidare undersöker denna studie ovannämnda process i ljuset av Process Virtualization Theory (PVT) vilken verkar som ett verktyg för att förstå i vilken utsträckning en beröringspunkt lämpar sig för digitalisering. Därtill appliceras Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) för att förstå de bakomliggande faktorer som påverkar kundengagemang. Mot bakgrund av detta teoretiska ramverk utförs tretton stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med card sorting för att undersöka vilka attityder och beteende som finns relaterade till de olika beröringspunkterna för ett specifikt företag inom den svenska dagligvaruhandeln. Resultatet visar att de viktigaste beröringspunkterna för kundengagemang är erbjudanden, rabatter och medlemskap samt den fysiska butiken. Den sistnämnda inbegriper butikens atmosfär, utbud och geografiska läge. Dessa beröringspunkter är den huvudsakliga anledningen till att en kund väljer att handla hos en viss butik. Det finns även andra faktorer som påverkar valet och olika faktorer spelar olika stor roll beroende på situation, dock antyder resultaten att de andra faktorerna oftast endast spelar en sekundär roll. Resultaten kan även till stor del förklaras av de två ovannämnda modellerna. För att öka sitt kundengagemang som företag inom dagligvaruhandeln förslås slutligen att det bör investeras i digitala lösningar som förstärker upplevelsen kring beröringspunkter i omnikanaler, i den usträckning PVT-modeller antyder att det skulle vara lämpligt. Dessa lösningar bör även inkorporera de motivationsfaktorer som UGT-modellen föreslår i de viktigaste beröringspunkterna. Ett användande av dessa lösningar som digitala verktyg skulle möjligtvis kunna leda till att den fysiska och digitala världen bättre kan mötas genom en omnikanal vilket slutligen bidrar till en mer sammansatt och positiv kundupplevelse genom hela kundresan. / This paper examines the importance of different touchpoints within a customer journey for increased customer engagement, focusing specifically on the grocery market. Because of the trend within the commerce industry to consider at customer’s overall experience as oppose to the individual purchase, customer engagement and omnichannel are therefore highly relevant approaches for a company to consider when forming their touchpoint architecture.  Touchpoints can be physical as well as digital points of contact between a brand and a customer. These touchpoints normally work in joint co-operation with each other, through omnichannels, for a complete customer experience. This complete experience is formed through the process of service design which includes a thoroughly designed touchpoint architecture in which the customer travels as part of her customer journey. Furthermore, this paper examines to which extent a process can be digitalised through applying the Process Virtualization Theory (PVT) model. In order to understand the customer engagement process and the reasons behind customer engagement the Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) model is also applied. With this theoretic background in place thirteen semi-structured interviews with a card sorting exercise was conducted to examine the attitudes and behaviours related to, and associated with, a company’s touchpoints within the Swedish grocery market industry. The customer research presented in this paper shows that the most important touchpoints for customer engagement are store offers and discounts, a grocery store’s atmosphere and supply and finally store location. These touchpoints are the main reasons to why customers choose to engage with a grocery store brand as they are perceived as the most important reasons a specific brand is chosen. There are other reasons too, and often the choice of brand is also determined by convenience and time available. However, the study shows that these reasons are only secondary to the former reasons. These results are supported by the two models mentioned above. In order to increase customer engagement a brand should therefore put resources into digital solutions, to the extent possible according to the PVT model, to reinforce the motivational factors from the UGT-model in these touchpoints. This way the physical and digital world would meet through omnichannel as the solutions would assist customers in their customer journey to make their overall experience better.

Today’s society is earmarked by developments in technology so drastic, that our lives are continuously changed, impacted and remolded. When thinking about how many impressions one goes through during a single day, the results will be uncountable. And at an increasing pace, many of these impressions are shifting to the digital realm. This thesis acknowledges these rapid changes in the modern world of marketing, particularly the digital aspects of it. Yet while a great amount of research has been conducted to more closely understand digital marketing and how to conduct it, a significantly little amount of research has been spent focusing on the customer. This while the path that a customer takes from need to purchase may have grown to be more complex than ever. Not all the impressions that a customer gains on a certain product or brand come solely from the company behind it. As such, we decided to focus on exploring this customer journey – a relatively nascent theme in the field of marketing research. More specifically, we aim to answer the following research question: How is the customer purchasing decision affected by the customer’s interaction with touch points throughout the customer journey? Our main purpose was to arrive at a model as an answer to the research question, that could be used as a foundation for future research studies. We were intensely curious at gaining a better understanding of the customer journey and what the customers experience as they are touched by different influential channels during their travel from need to purchase. Our study shows that it is possible to synthesize the state of current research on the topic of the customer journey and support it with empirical data gathered from interviews with a variety of customers. Central to our thesis are the following two definitions that we have constructed based on current literature: The customer journey is the individual experience that a customer has when interacting with touch points in the path from a pre-purchase to a post-purchase setting. Touch points are moments of contact between customer and company that individually and collectively influence customer experience. The third critical element is that of the customer experience, which we don’t explicitly define, but implicitly construe as a distinct construct with a powerful impact by serving as the catalyst between touch points and customer actions and perceptions.The result is a conceptual model of the customer journey that we feel could be a foundation for future research on the customer journey to build upon and perhaps one day could serve as an overarching model for marketing as a whole.

En utvärderande studie av digitala touchpoints i ett besöksflöde. Teorier som nyttjas i studien är mentala modeller, situerad kognition och externa reprepresentationer. I metodvalet utvärderas kontextuell design samt service walkthrough angående vilken metod som är mest lämplig.  Totalt deltog 15 testdeltagare i en uppgiftsbaserad testning med kontextuell design, service walkthrough med paus och service walkthrough utan paus. Resultatet visar att alla digitala touchpoints möter testdeltagarnas bild tillräckligt bra för att de ska klara den uppgiftsbaserade testningen. Efter detta följer en diskussion angående hur teorierna kan länkas till resultatet och med detta även hur flödet kan förbättras och vad man ska tänka på vid vidareutveckling av systemet.

Sustainability has been on everyone's lips in the last decade. However, the fashion industry has been proved to be the second-largest contributor to environmental destruction being just behind the oil industry. As the fashion industry keeps growing, measures need to be taken to make it more sustainable. When shopping for fashion products the channel with the least environmental cost is using physical stores. However, physical stores are becoming less and less attractive and are losing their customers to e-commerce instead, a phenomenon that has been called the retail apocalypse. When comparing physical stores to e-commerce one clear advantage that the physical stores have is that they can take advantage of sensory cues to enhance the customer's shopping experience. This thesis wants to test if sensory touchpoints in a fashion retailing environment will affect customer decision-making. Ultimately contributing to the thin available research in the field on how to make physical retailing more attractive and counteract the ongoing retail apocalypse.  The empirical findings were obtained using a quantitative survey consisting of 32 questions sent out via social media to Swedish fashion customers and were analyzed through the theoretical concepts of evaluation of alternatives and purchase decision which are two of the steps in the customer decision-making process model. Concluding this thesis showed that all research questions surrounding sensorial touch points' impact on customers came back with positive outcomes.

In recent years there has been a remarkable distribution of the omnichannel environment, which has emerged as a significant factor in the fashion industry. Today's society is characterized by customers who possess extensive knowledge and easy access to information online, with the added convenience of constantly available e-commerce. As consumer awareness has escalated, it has become imperative for businesses to understand how customers' needs, pain points, and desires impact their customer journey in an omnichannel environment. Consequently, the aim of this research is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how Generation Z customers' needs, pain points, and desires influence their behavior throughout the customer journey within the fashion industry's omnichannel landscape. This study aims to contribute new and crucial insights to the existing body of knowledge, given the lack of recent research on this topic from the consumer perspective. To achieve these research objectives, empirical data was collected through a qualitative multi-method study comprising five focus groups and five semi-structured interviews, with a total of 25 participants. The participants consisted of individuals of Swedish origin who were born in, and belong to, Generation Z. The collected data was afterwards analyzed and discussed, which meant comparing and contrasting the results with previous research on the topic. The conclusion of this thesis reveals remarkable observations about Generation Z in Sweden, where this study has identified the most common combinations of different channels in omnichannel atmospheres. Overall, this study highlights a clear preference among female participants to use the services provided by e-commerce, while male participants show a propensity for physical, traditional commerce. In addition, this report sheds new light on the information search and evaluation process, which constitutes the initial stage of the consumer's decision-making process. Finally, needs, pain points and desires based on each step in the customer journey are identified, as well as how the problems can be resolved with initiatives from the companies.

[pt] A pandemia do Covid-19 mudou hábitos do consumidor, o distanciamento social e o lockdown motivaram as pessoas a buscarem formas mais convenientes e seguras para satisfazerem suas necessidades. Lojas físicas precisaram se adaptar ao online para seguir faturando e o e-commerce se desdobrou para atender a toda demanda de forma eficaz. A omnicanalidade, então, se tornou um tópico ainda mais relevante nos maiores varejistas do país. Essa integração de canais tornou-se necessária, para obter ganhos de produtividade, acelerar o crescimento e progredir na experiência e no relacionamento com o cliente. Sendo uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os desafios da estratégia omnichannel implementada em um grande varejista brasileiro, a Americanas S.A.. A metodologia adotada foi o estudo de caso, com dados coletados através de: 1) entrevistas em profundidade com cinco gestores, utilizando roteiro semiestruturado, à luz do modelo de criação da experiência do cliente de Verhoef et al. (2009). e 2) arquivos e apresentações publicados pela empresa, notícias na imprensa e artigos sobre a companhia. Os principais resultados evidenciaram que, dentre os esforços de integração do online com o offline, empoderamento do cliente e conveniência são a essência do planejamento estratégico adotado pela empresa atualmente. / [en] The Covid-19 pandemic has changed consumer habits, social distancing and the lockdown have motivated people to seek more convenient and safer ways to satisfy their needs. Physical stores have adapted to online sales to move forward and e-commerce has progressed to meet demand effectively. Omnichannel, then, became an even more relevant topic in the largest retailers in the country. This channel integration has become necessary in order to obtain productivity gains, accelerate growth and progress in customer experience and relationships. Being an exploratory research, the objective of this study was to identify the challenges of the omnichannel strategy implemented in a large Brazilian retailer, Americanas S.A. The methodology adopted was the case study, with data collected through: 1) in-depth interviews with five managers, using a semi-structured script, in the light of Verhoef et al. (2009). and 2) files and presentations published by the company, press releases and articles about the company. The main results showed that, among the efforts to integrate online with offline, customer empowerment and convenience are the essence of the strategic planning adopted by the company today.

The purpose of this study is to explore how firms create an engaging customer experience through live shopping. More specifically, by performing a case study this thesis will provide an example of how firms use live shopping to create interactions, as well as to provide value through firm offerings.  This thesis performs qualitative exploratory research with an abductive research approach by studying the case company, Flowlife. Both primary- and secondary data sources are conducted. The primary data is collected through semi-structured interviews with seven employees at the selected company and further analyzed through thematic analysis. While secondary data is conducted through observations of two recorded live shopping event and KPIs provided from the company.  The empirical findings highlight that live shopping allows the studied firm to get close to their customers. Moreover, it was stated that the firm recognizes live shopping as a powerful tool to share information to customers; both about their products, but also about “added value” beyond what is embedded in their products. Finally, it can be identified that the firm perceive a control over the interactions that live shopping brings.  The presented study identifies that live shopping allows a firm to reach beyond the ordinary online experience by combining elements from brick-and-mortar stores with digital affordances. This way, a firm can increase the probability of building trust and relationships. Moreover, live shopping is agile in its nature and allows a firm to adjust and customize firm offerings while providing it. It can also be stated that live shopping allows a firm to provide greater value-in-use and elevate a firm’s role in the value creation process by expanding its role in the joint sphere.

In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the conventional strategies employed by luxury automotive brands towards a more digitalized customer journey. This shift reflects the changing landscape of consumer behavior and the growing influence of technology in shaping customer experiences. Customers are increasingly seeking convenience, personalization, and seamless interactions throughout their purchase process, and expect businesses to provide them with engaging and immersive experiences, both online and offline. As a result, luxury automotive brands have recognized the need to establish a strong digital presence and leverage various touchpoints to meet these evolving customer expectations. Consequently, the purpose of this thesis has been to examine and understand how luxury automotive brands create luxury hedonic experiences online, as well as identify the key touchpoints through which hedonic value is created in a digital context. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative multiple-case study was conducted involving seven businesses operating in the luxury automotive sector. The research methodology employed a combination of semi-structured interviews and a structured questionnaire, and the empirical findings were thoroughly analyzed in conjunction with existing literature to discern similarities and disparities among the cases studied. The conclusion of this thesis reveals that luxury brands employ a multi-faceted approach, utilizing high-quality digital content, exclusivity, collaborations, innovation, personalization, customer-centricity, and top-quality customer service to create hedonic experiences. Key digital touchpoints include aesthetically pleasing websites, interactive features, social media platforms for community building, and corporate touchpoints that align digital experiences with offline luxury experiences. Moreover, this thesis can serve as a guide for future endeavors in this field, and researchers can utilize its findings as a foundation to further explore the implications for luxury automotive brands.

Den digitala utveckling som har genomsyrat 2010-talet har påverkat många aspekter av samhället. En tydlig aspekt är att ökad e-handel har förändrat förutsättningar både för företag och konsumenter. För detaljhandeln har denna förändring observerats vara av stor betydelse, vilket exempelvis har lett till diskussioner kring begrepp som ”butiksdöden”. Då tillväxten av e-handel förväntas accelerera, efterfrågas ny förståelse för den digitala kundresan och hur denna påverkar kundens upplevelse och beslutsprocess i den digitala miljön. Denna studie undersöker e-handel av sportmode, och studien skrivs på uppdrag av ett företag verksamma inom denna bransch. Ett syfte med studien är att skapa ny förståelse för hur svenska konsumenter av sportmode online upplever den digitala kundresan, samt hur den digitala kundresan influerar beslutsprocessen. Vi vill vidare kunna identifiera vilka branschspecifika faktorer som influerar kundens upplevelse och beslutsprocess, för att kunna ge praktiska rekommendationer till företag verksamma inom branschen. För att undersöka detta har vi genomfört åtta kvalitativa intervjuer med konsumenter, vilka alla har erfarenhet av att handla sportmode online. Intervjuerna har baserats på en teoretisk grund kring e-handel, kundupplevelse och beslutsprocessen. Resultatet av studien visar att kunder som handlar sportmode via e-handel använder olika enheter och kanaler, samt att dessa tar olika stor plats genom de olika stegen av beslutsprocessen. Vilken enhet eller kanal som föredras har visat sig påverkas av flera olika faktorer, både individuella faktorer samt digitala. Då kundens upplevelse är en subjektiv och individuell reaktion, kan vi se att denna till stor del påverkas av kundens initiala motiv med shoppingen. Både hedonistiska och utilitaristiska motiv tar sig uttryck i kundens förväntningar och val av enhet/kanal. Förutom dessa faktorer har vi även identifierat influerande faktorer som vi anser är specifika för den undersökta branschen. Då kunder som köper sportmode online inte kan utvärdera produkten fysiskt innan köp sker en mer omfattande informationssökning för att minimera den upplevda risken av e- handel.

Företag tenderar att leverera meningsfulla kundupplevelser genom användning av kundresor. En kundresa föreställer ett händelseförlopp som innefattar kundens hela livscykel, från förköpsfas till efterköpsfas. Inom kundresor utgör företagsägda kontaktpunkter en central del, eftersom det är via dessa som företag och kunder utbyter information sinsemellan genom hela kundresan. Rätt information är A och O för att företag ska kunna kommunicera med de rätta kunderna, vid rätt tidpunkt och med relevant budskap, oavsett vilken kontaktpunkt som kunden än väljer. Rätt information förutsätter tillgång till relevanta och kvalitetsrika data samt kräver adekvata åtgärder för att möjliggöra ett entydigt och komplett informationsflöde. Detta är lättare sagt än gjort. Faktum är att det i dagsläget saknas tydliga riktlinjer för hur företag bör integrera kontaktpunkter för att säkerställa ett avbrottfritt informationsutbyte. Inom tidigare forskning saknas studier av faktiska fall. Därför har denna studie genomförts som en fallstudie med syfte att undersöka hur en enskild verksamhet inom biltillverkningsindustrin, integrerar egna kontaktpunkter. Studiens resultat tyder på att det finns negativa faktorer som försvårar informationsutbyte och samtidigt utgör ett hot mot positiva faktorer som innefattar verksamhetens kärnprocesser för att effektivisera informationsutbyte. För att upprätthålla ett effektivt informationsutbyte och för att skydda verksamheten mot negativa faktorer, bör positiva faktorer vara synkroniserade. Lösningen förutsätter en gemensam IT-arkitektur, som innefattar system och verktyg som är lämpade för kundinteraktion samt som kan sammankopplas med verksamhetens kärnprocesser. / Companies tend to deliver meaningful customer experiences by using customer journeys. A customer journey represents a sequence of events that include the customer's entire purchase cycle, from pre-purchase phase to post-purchase phase. In these journeys, company owned touchpoints constitute a key part, as it is through these touchpoints that companies and customers share information with one another throughout the entire customer journey. Accurate information is imperative for the companies to communicate with the right customer, at the right time and with a relevant message, regardless of which touchpoint the customer chooses. Accurate information requires access to relevant and high quality data, as well as adequate measures to enable unambiguous and complete flow of information. In fact, this is easier said than done. There are currently no clear guidelines on how companies should integrate touchpoints to ensure an uninterrupted information sharing. In previous research, there is a lack of studies conducted on factual cases. Therefore, this study has been conducted as a case study, which aim is to study an automobile company’s approach to integrate its touchpoints. The result of this study indicates that there are negative factors that hamper the information sharing, and at the same time pose a threat to positive factors that include core business processes to streamline information sharing. To maintain an effective information sharing, and to protect the business against negative factors, positive factors should be synchronized. This solution requires a corporate IT architecture, which includes suitable systems and tools for customer interaction, and which can be linked to the core processes of the business.