Across-channel price difference acknowledged before or after the purchase. Does the price transparency impact the perceived price fairness?
(A2025-125748)

AUTHORS

EWA KICZMACHOWSKA, Kozminski University Warsaw; Paweł de Pourbaix, Kozminsky University; GRZEGORZ MAZUREK

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to investigate the potential consequences of delayed acknowledgement of across-channel price differentiation strategy on perceived price fairness in the multichannel retail environment. The results of an experimental, scenario-based study of 556 respondents revealed that price fairness was perceived higher, when the customers were acknowledged about the price difference after the purchase. Further, the low-level price discount online (-10%) was not perceived significantly less fair vs. the price-parity scenario, provided additional costs of online order delivery were assumed. The results enhance the current knowledge with regard to multichannel customer management framework and price fairness theory, and carry valuable practical insights into across-channel price differentiation strategy implementation by retailers.