A thematic exploration of the evolution of research in multichannel marketing

The significant technological changes that spurred the growth of the Internet, affected how marketing channels changed over the period. While the launch of e-commerce in the 90-s gave a significant boost to research in multichannel marketing, the scope and nature of the inquiries have continued to evolve. To document this evolution of multichannel research, we conduct an in-depth review of 181 marketing papers in the domain, published between 1995 and 2021. We observe a shift in research topics, which we organize into three distinct eras: 1995–2004, 2005–2014, and a still evolving 2015–2021. We then use a multi-dimensional framework to identify how these topics have evolved over the eras. We extract a set of twelve key takeaways across customer and firm-focused research themes and identify the dominant research trends from this thematic exploration. We conclude by identifying areas that are conspicuous in their potential to advance our understanding and aid practice.