HOW THE SHIFT TO OMNI-CHANNEL COMMERCE STRATEGY AIDS A FURNITURE RETAILER’S COMPETITIVE DIFFERENTIATION: THE CASE OF XXX LUTZ IN AUSTRIA

Abstract

Purpose- This study aims to devise a well-grounded omni-channel commerce strategy for the furniture retailers.Methodology- We used XXX Lutz, a well-established furniture retailer in Austria, as a study case. A content analysis of using website information, academic papers and social media documents, was conducted.Findings- The finding shows that XXX Lutz’s shift to an omni-channel commerce strategy requires a smoother integration of all utilized channels. This could be achieved by two approaches, namely informational integration and physical integration. Moreover, potential challenges XXX Lutz might face by adopting an omni-channel strategy are identified and adequate solutions are proposed.Conclusion- This study extends the understanding of the omni-channel strategy for the furniture retailers. Our findings affirm the assumption that informational and physical integrations are two important dimensions of channel integration for the omni-channel retailers.