Marketing Channel Choice and Its Impact on Logistics and Operations: A Path Toward Omnichannel in Grocery Retailing

Abstract

Digitalization has transformed the grocery retail industry, driving the adoption of a wider range of sales channels. To cope with the change, retailers are now moving towards Omnichannel management, where customers can seamlessly use all available channels. Consumers’ behavior is becoming complex and difficult to fit into a single strategy. Yet, despite extensive research on consumer behavior across channels, there remains a need to understand the factors influencing consumer channel choice. Moreover, Qatar’s online grocery market shows strong potential but lacks dedicated research. From a retailer's perspective, the process of reconfiguring their business to accommodate all consumer profiles remains limited. Indeed, the main enablers for transforming to Omnichannel management need to be further explored, and challenges should be anticipated. The present research aims to address these gaps by answering the main research questions: ‘What are the factors influencing consumers’ preferences in the grocery retail sector in the specific case of Qatar?’, ‘How can grocery retailers implement a successful Omnichannel strategy?’, and ‘Why do so many companies struggle to achieve omnichannel transformation?’. We adopted a systematic literature review as the foundation of this dissertation. In fact, 36 relevant papers from the past decade were examined, and methodologies and factors influencing consumers’ channel decisions were analyzed. Key variables affecting consumer choice are identified and synthesized into an integrative framework that connects them with implications for retailers. The literature review also served as a base for an empirical analysis of Qatar's grocery market. Using Stated Preference methods, an experimental design with two primary alternatives—Online Shopping and Physical Stores—is developed, incorporating six attributes. Multinomial Logit models are used to analyze data and provide market segmentation of grocery shoppers. To cope with the various shoppers’ profiles, a multiple-case study was conducted to provide retailers with a step-by-step roadmap in their transition to an omnichannel approach. All based on solid theoretical framework combining for the first time the three theories of Complex adaptive systems, Dynamic capability view, and Real options theory This research provides important contributions to the literature. First, our systematic literature review offers a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing consumer channel choice. Additionally, it introduces an integrative framework connecting these factors to outcomes directly impacting grocery retailers’ logistics services. Moreover, the dissertation enhances understanding of grocery shopper behavior in Qatar, the first such study in the country. By identifying distinct consumer segments, the study offers key insights for government policymakers seeking to promote e-commerce, as well as for grocery retailers aiming to better understand consumer behavior in e-grocery. This study supports grocery retailers in their shift toward omnichannel by clarifying how key decisions unfold over time and by highlighting approaches to anticipate and overcome implementation challenges. In addition, it contributes to a still-limited body of research on omnichannel integration by examining how collaboration with external factors, such as technology service providers, suppliers, and third-party logistics providers, can be structured to enable effective integration while mitigating major risk

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Science and Engineering