Adapting Business Models in the Age of Omnichannel Transformation: Evidence from the Small Retail Businesses in Australia
Department of Informatics, Linnaeus University, 352 52 Växjö, Sweden
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2025, 20(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20010001
Submission received: 16 August 2024
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Revised: 17 December 2024
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Accepted: 22 December 2024
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Published: 24 December 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Digital Business Organization)
Abstract
:Due to the advent of digitalization, the retail business has seen major changes in recent decades, including e-commerce and multichannel retailing. Customers have witnessed the development of new and digitized channels, as well as solutions such as digital marketplaces, social media touchpoints, and augmented reality applications. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as most of the physical brick-and-mortar retailers were forced to close, more consumers turned to digital channels such as apps, websites, social media platforms, etc. Small retail businesses, which account for a sizable share of the retail industry, have also faced challenge of seamless retailing in the era of digitization. This concept of seamless retailing is called omnichannel retailing, and it aims to integrate all the retail channels and touchpoints. The goal for small retailers is to make the transformation to omnichannel. The purpose of this study is to investigate how small retail businesses are changing their business models in the age of omnichannel transformation. Through a qualitative study of small retailers, this research provides empirical insights on business model changes and adaptive skills. The findings show that small businesses can implement complex changes in their business models through adaptive behaviors. This study also identifies areas in their business models and adaptive capabilities that require additional consideration and improvement to support the ongoing omnichannel transformation.
1. Introduction
Over the last two decades, the retail industry has gone through significant developments, even referred to as the “digital age” [1]. This started with the evolution of online sales pioneered by the first books sold by Amazon in the 1990s, which was referred to as “Internet 1.0” [2] or prior to that, “monochannel” retailing [3], where there was only one sales channel like a traditional bookstore. The growth has been exponential over the past two decades. It grew even more in the year 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, yielding $4 trillion USD on online sales, which was approximately 33% more than 2019 [4]. After Amazon first initiated a commercial exchange outside a physical store, the electronic commerce wave came through the industry at a fast speed enabled by digitalization. Retailers raced to deploy their online business, which yielded significant success. This was the age of multichannel retailing (MCR). Verhoef et al. [5] has described MCR as a means of engaging, converting, and retaining customers through different touchpoints, or rather, media with a new value proposition. From a retailer’s perspective, this involved deploying and the coordination of different touchpoints as consumers go through their buying process. This was the case during the era of MCR; it added value to the retail industry. Much has been achieved with this retail concept in the past decades, but it has not been without its flaws as many of the channels and information remains disconnected and managed separately [6].
Multichannel retailing was considered to be a blueprint to be a competitive and leading retailer in the past decade [5]. However, now the retail sector is moving to a new era. More recently, the ambition is omnichannel retailing (OCR), where one can seamlessly move between channels no matter what, where, and how the consumer wants to do their buying journey [7]. OCR is defined as multiple channels being integrated, whereby a customer can perform their purchase on whatever media and at whichever point of time they choose [5]. Moreover, the customer experience is consistent, enhanced, and optimised through accessibility of more information [6]. In practice, a consumer can perform different parts of the buying process at different touchpoints and can move and cross between the touchpoints at any given time [8]. Omnichannel retailing goes beyond selling online. It is deploying other new channels both digitally, such as social media touchpoints with the help of new technologies. Though just as important is integrating and optimising of existing channels as well as infrastructure like the returns process—a key difference to MCR [9]. There are also new developments in retail concepts or extensions such as platform retailing or expansion into customer pick-up points. Omnichannel retailing also creates a new experience for consumers, a seamless [10] and more enriched buying journey, and at the same time a heightened brand loyalty [11]. Moreover, from an organisational perspective, omnichannel promises to yield improved business success and potential efficiencies across the value chain through integration of the organisation’s infrastructure [6,12]. At the same time, challenges have emerged in the integration attempts of the infrastructure, such as how to produce and feed the information consistently across the channels as well as supply chain synchronisation [11].
While large enterprises have increasingly invested in OCR capabilities, small retailers often struggle with the transformation due to limited resources, technological infrastructure, and expertise. Unlike their larger counterparts, smaller retailers face significant challenges in integrating complex systems required for a successful omnichannel strategy. Consequently, these barriers result in slower adoption rates and reduced benefits from omnichannel efficiencies. Despite the growing emphasis on OCR in retail, there exists limited knowledge in OCR transformation for small retailers [13]. The definition of small business enterprises varies from different authorities. One variable is the criteria on outstanding business loans and legal structure [14]. However, the consistent and most comparable criteria between different authorities, global or in Australia, are on revenue and the number of employees. Small businesses are defined by The World Bank [15] as an independent organisation with 50 employees or less. The World Bank also categorises those with 10 employees or less as micro businesses. Furthermore, an additional criterion pertains to small enterprises, which is a revenue of 10 million Euros. Connolly et al. [14] from The Reserve Bank of Australia, however, sets the employee number to 20 or less for small businesses. The Australian Tax Office [16] categorises enterprises with approximately less than 6 million Euros to fall within the small business category. Small businesses include 90% of all businesses and 50% of the workforce, and hence, are a significant contributor to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), industry, and practitioners [15]. Moreover, digital-savvy entrepreneurs are synonymous with small enterprises. Could it be that smaller organisations are more adaptable and agile to new and emerging factors? Could it be that small businesses are more proficient with iterations and collaborations, and are able to make faster decisions towards OCR transformation? However, we can also argue that small retailers face significant challenges due to limited resources and technological infrastructure, which may result in slower adoption and reduced benefits. This makes business model adaptation crucial, as digital transformation initiatives have a high failure rate, especially among SMEs. These issues are lacking in the existing literature, which focuses on larger retail organisations.
This paper focuses on how small retailers adapt to omnichannel transformation, particularly in the wake of accelerating digital transformation trends and the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this paper addresses the following research question: How do small retailers adapt their business models towards omnichannel transformation? Through the lens of the Business Model (BM) concept and the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory, this research aims to develop knowledge around how small businesses are changing their business model. Furthermore, we aim to unravel what adaptation capabilities the small businesses are utilising to enable OCR transformation. Therefore, the objective of this research is to find out what is changing, why, how, when and who is involved in OCR transformation. In addition to this, we need to understand what the challenges are and the outlook for the future. Ultimately, the aim of this research is to gain insights and meaning to contribute to the limited body of knowledge.
2. Omnichannel Retail
Even at the very early stage of the literature search, it was clear that the themes for OCR were wide. After going through the literature in detail and conducting a cross analysis of themes as mentioned, the common themes were induced from the selected literature and summarised in Figure 1. This visualisation shows an aggregation of common and related themes in each of the bubbles. The greater the size and darkness of the bubble indicates the higher frequency of those themes across the selected literature. There were several major and sub themes, but only a few minor topics. What was clear was the importance of a holistic approach, as cited in the selected literature in the bubble of “Business model, strategy, management, capabilities, processes”. It was expected to find technology-related topics emerge as a major theme. This visual also highlights more behavioural aspects, that is, abilities or capabilities as key topics in OCR transformation, which later contributed into investigating CAS theory. What was an unexpected theme was the lack of a common definition of OCR and a call for future research in several papers. Overall, all the bubbles combined demonstrate the vastness of themes of OCR transformation.
Business model (BM) is referred to as a key aspect in making an OCR transformation. Other perspectives of this were managerial capabilities, strategies, and capabilities. Cao [10] assessed a retailer’s transformation journey in China through the lens of the BM concept to be able to follow the changes from the as-is state to the future state. This impacted the entire organisational infrastructure, from the changes in their strategies, tactics, and down to operations [17]. The business model is a foundation to the transformation towards omnichannel retailing. The holistic and complete business model approach by Hummel, a sportswear label, proved to be a success factor to their B2B (Business-to-Business) omnichannel transformation [18]. All the changes needed are connected to this, and all of the required activities are interrelated. Reviewing the business model gives a holistic map and overview of such a transformation.
Similarly, the study by Li et al. [19] is done from a capability perspective that can be seen as a parallel or at least a connected view on the BM. In their study, they assessed the transformational capabilities of the entire organisation and network through the assessment of their processes, employees, and in partnership with a service provider. Their study concluded on a strategic model called the Digital Transformation Process Model. Additionally, Jocevski et al. [9] also grounded on the BM concept. They, too, used this as a vehicle to track the changes in their organisation and claimed the BM as key fundament for transformation for their organisation, but also the value chain involved. On the other hand, Davis-Sramek et al. [20] refer to the BM as the competitive advantage for transformation as it is the “coherent blueprint” (p. 560) for transformation for all involved. The same notion was also stated by Amit and Zott [21] as well as by Hansen and Sia [18].
As the retail transformation has been driven by digital developments, it was not a surprise that technology-related topics were a high recurring theme in the literature. Li et al. [19] captured the transformation of a smaller organisation through the partnership of service providers, and in this case, Alibaba. Not only did the organisation acquire the technical ability through their services, it also received coaching on other aspects, such as leadership and other skills more relevant to today’s digital age of retailing. Another technological aspect in the literature was the developments in the channels, in particular, mobile devices and apps, a key difference to MCR but also digital tools that are supporting a richer retail experience. Additionally, how consumers are accepting these digital developments [22]. Moreover, Cichosz et al. [1] discussed the importance that big data capabilities bring for the retail sector. Key factors in Hummel’s transformation OCR success were founded on new technology investments and capabilities such as a new central product information management platform for their targeted B2B value chain [18]. There is still a need for more empirical research that shows the relationship between digital technology and omnichannel retailing [23].
A prominent theme in OCR is the dependence on the entire value chain, in particular the supply and logistics parts—yet another key difference to MCR practices. Many of the limiting challenges, and they are significant, are related to how the purchase is fulfilled. MCR did not set an integrated approach between the actors in the value chain. For instance, the impact of marketing and communication tactics on fulfilment, and as a result, these, too, are not synchronised like presented in the separate studies by Cichosz et al. [1] and Larke et al. [11] on the challenges that are creating a lot of inefficiencies and costs to transform a retail organisation. On the flip side, there was evidence of operational efficiency gained through optimisation of channels and the overall business model through OCR [2,8,12].
Another aggregated major theme extracted from the literature was around change management, leadership capabilities, the culture, and competence building within individuals, the organisation, and the value chain. The study by Hansen and Sia [18] demonstrated several of these capabilities in Hummel’s transformation journey. The organisation invested in new digital skills and resources to the point of an evolution of key roles within their organisation but also focused on developing the skills of their B2B partners in their value chain. They also adopted a culture with shorter iterations of work and positive encouragement together with new processes. Whereas the study of SMEs by Li et al. [19] partnering with digital retail giants Alibaba proved a worthy initiative as it imparted not just new technical competence but also assist in forming new leadership and change capabilities that impacted both the senior and operational levels of the organisation. The study, conducted with logistics providers connected to the retail digitalization, also found success in transformation through leadership capabilities both in business acumen and behavioural skills, up-skilling and engaging their resources, as well as adopting a more iterative and agile approach [1].
The mid-sized themes included areas such as customer experience and consumer behaviour. Several studies demonstrated some of the preferred customer experiences and settings expected by consumers, such as the very much implemented pick-up points of recent times, or showrooming, whereby a consumer would visit a physical store before making the purchase online [2,12]. Moreover, the showrooming solution, where the old type of channel is more integrated with the new channels, defuncts the relevance question of physical stores in a more digitised retail industry—a theme that occurred several times in the review. Albeit it needs some adaptations to be effective and optimised, but many studies in this review concluded that physical stores remain a valuable channel for OCR. The literature also examined consumer behaviour within OCR, such as the weaving in and out of the different channels at different points of the purchase journey. The researchers in this domain also assessed the impact on purchase intent, as in what drivers may influence the decision to purchase [3,22].
OCR remains an emerging topic for both industry and the research community, which was evident in the literature review. Furthermore, there is a disparity between the results in existing literature between MCR and OCR, with MCR covering more research than OCR.
In contrast to what has been discussed repeatedly in the literature is the lack of OCR research connected to small businesses, since almost all the research is about large retailers. Though some of the included studies classified their research as small business, they were still large within their sub-group. One of the studies even cited a “scarcity” of research and knowledge around OCR transformation ([6], p. 54), and in particular, small businesses. During the review of the literature, we have found only a handful included small business.
3. Adaptability and Capability
At different points of this literature review, the concept of adaptability in retail organisations, or rather, change management, was captured in a key bubble of “Change management, culture, leadership, people competence” in Figure 1, due to a novel element such as digitalisation. This was evident while scanning through the omnichannel literature, in the research by Saghiri et al. [6], Juaneda-Ayensa et al. [22], Cichosz et al. [1], and Pereira et al. [24]. This, together with self-reflection, further conceptualisation, and discussion with peers, posed a question of the adaptability and capability of a retailer in a very dynamic, complex, and changing environment. This led to the search for other concepts that can support this research. The Complex Adaptive Systems Theory (CAS) was found to be relevant for the research study due to its foundations on complex systems facing dynamic changes. One of the prominent themes in the literature on CAS is its relevance to information systems development (ISD). The research by Kautz et al. [25] and Vidgen and Wang [26] presented the correlations between ISD and CAS principles. In particular, how actors in a system or organisation interact when under emerging and changing conditions. In their work, they grounded this theory and further recommended practitioners to use CAS as a critical tool for any successful ISD, especially since this domain is constantly facing emerging change. So much so that Vidgen and Wang [26] proposed that CAS should no longer be viewed as a theory but more as a scientifically proven best practice, whilst information systems remain as an evolving and contemporary domain. Holland [27] also presented the parallel between CAS theory and different contemporary topics today, such as ISD. Moreover, the OCR literature from Saghiri et al. [6] also claimed a clear connection between CAS and OCR. They compared the emerging elements in the retail industry through digitalization where the different actors of the organisation or even value chain interact and collaborate with one another, make agile decisions, and take actions to find order under an environment that is under disarray. Therefore, ISD shares the same principles as CAS theory and even as a framework for successful information systems development.
The relevance of CAS theory was not only related to ISD in the literature but also to many different domains such as business, organisational, societal, and even natural science [28]. This was a prevalent theme in the literature. The common thread in the different domains is the complexity of the network, environment, structure, and/or ecosystem [27]. In relation to this, there is an associated complexity of activities and exchanges between the expansive group of involved actors or nodes in an organisation, ecosystem, or biological setting.
Another theme of CAS is the dynamic, non-linear, change and having the agility or ability to act, develop, or emerge from these changes. Again, all of which are relatable to ISD and how industries and practitioners have had to adapt in ways such as being more agile, iterative, faster, and at the same time perform at a higher level. The additional themes were on the variations of definition of CAS but also the connectivity between the characteristics of CAS. Although there are slightly different nuances on the CAS definitions, they are based on the same foundations. Both Kautz et al. [25] and Vidgen and Wang [26] presented the view of how the CAS principles are dependent of one another and how one principle cannot be taken as a separate element. For instance, the ability of being able to emerge and be more knowledgeable as an organisation is dependent on how the actors in the organisation can communicate, share, and interact together [25]. Without the components together, the organisation’s capabilities will be hindered.
Although there is a lack of a common definition of CAS, the definitions are based on the same pillars. Holland [27] defines CAS as the ability of a complex system to adapt, to act, or learn collectively under emerging situations. Vidgen and Wang [26] developed and derived the definition further to three over-arching principles for a system (or organisation): to have the capability to track the rate of change that surrounds them, then match or outperform it with changes internally, the capability to organise themselves even when faced with chaos and change, and to have the capability to operate and innovate concurrently. Over time, the CAS definition, or rather principles, is further developed to another granularity level, including the one from Kautz et al. [25], who had one of the more contemporary definitions. They define CAS as a system’s capabilities on six principles: Interconnected autonomous agents, Self-organisation, Co-evolution, Poise at the edge of chaos, Time pacing, and Poise at the edge of time. Kautz et al. [25] also capture the elements of CAS as a complex network of actors faced with and adapting to novel and emerging concepts in a dynamic order. All of which resonate with the aggregated theme in Figure 1 related to change management, leadership, and other behavioural capabilities of actors in a retail organisation. CAS theory can provide a construct on how the actors in an organisation behave, interact with one another, and act or solve a situation, whether there are internal and external changes, expected or unplanned. Moreover, previous research claimed a close relationship between CAS theory and information systems development, which has been the driver of the OCR transformation in the retail sector [6,25,26,28].
Research on omnichannel retail, digital transformation, and business models shows there are different opinions on how these concepts are linked. Verhoef et al. [5] argue that only the use of digital tools does not always lead to changes in a company’s business model. However, digital transformation (a deeper change in how a company creates and delivers value) leads to changes in the business model. This distinction is important for understanding how retail businesses adjust their strategies to stay competitive. Previous research on Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory suggests that businesses are constantly adjusting to changes in their environment, such as new digital technologies, which often requires changing their business models. This paper builds on these ideas by looking at how small retail businesses deal with these changes and the challenges they face in adapting to omnichannel strategies.
4. Conceptual Framework
After identifying the significance of the BM and CAS in omnichannel transformation, BM and CAS theory concepts are used to build the conceptual framework for this study. This framework is visualised in Figure 2 below. The theory of a complex adaptive system is based on the fundaments of “agents, connectivity, emergence and autonomy/control” ([6], p. 54), or rather a complex set of actors that are constantly connected, acting, and adapting in an environment of dynamic nature, ultimately contributing to their value system [26]. As mentioned, Saghiri et al. [6] claimed that OCR is synonymous to CAS theory. The capability to adapt in such dynamic and emerging conditions, which is the current conditions of the retail sector, is what makes CAS theory a relevant construct. In the conceptual framework, the BM concept will be the assessment lens of what the organisations of this research study move from its current state to the future state in a holistic way. It is to observe the elements they are changing within their business model to reach omnichannel transformation, whether that would be changes to their strategies, technologies, competencies, processes, or value-adding proposition. Whereas the application of CAS theory will assess their capability not only to transform these elements in their business model against the six principles but also to understand how it enables the changes. This conceptual framework has been strongly grounded on the existing knowledge around OCR transformation. Furthermore, the pairing of the BM and CAS constructs is a novel one for the OCR domain and in the context of small businesses. All of which combined has the potential to contribute to the body of knowledge that remains emergent.
Applying CAS theory together with the BM concept will measure a small-sized retailer’s capability to adapt to OCR as they move from their As-Is to their To-Be wished state. Assessing what are the changes in their business model. CAS theory in a broad sense enables the assessment of an organisation and its actors, how they communicate, collaborate, perform activities and actions, as well as how the actors adapt to the changes around them and bring value to their business [6]. It is to determine whether they have the capability with OCR transformation. Or rather, CAS theory can be used to measure the enablement of the transformation within the organisation. This can be conducted through data collation of a retail organisation’s behaviour around communication, collaboration, autonomy, decisions, actions, leadership, and their cognitive ability to adapt and deploy strategies such as technological and change implementations to support their omnichannel transformation [24].
5. Method
As omnichannel retailing remains an emerging concept, and as claimed in the literature it is still a subjective topic, applying a qualitative approach will support understanding the reasons for the state of the small retailer’s OCR transformation. Moreover, it will also open up for other potential theories and explore solutions that will be beneficial to this field of knowledge and industry [29]. Also evident in the literature review is the need to look at the entire organisation and value chain of a retailer, a complex system, to understand the intertwined elements of OCR transformation rather than the disjointed approach in MCR. Thus, this complexity of OCR can be researched more effectively through a qualitative study, a holistic and thorough approach. This research design has been proven successful for the study of complex systems, observing the interactions and behaviours while in its environment.
5.1. Data Collection
The plan was to engage with three small retail businesses focusing on enterprises with no more than 20 employees and a turnover of less than 10 MEUR to participate in the research study. Since OCR remains an emerging concept in the industry, a qualitative study will be applied as mentioned in the previous section. As such, this type of design promotes exploration and variability. Hence, different retailers will be selected from different sub-groups of the industry, with different business models and stages of transformation. This is to be as wide and diverse as possible to gather more knowledge and contribute to a research field and industry that is still emerging. Another key criterion in selecting the participating small business enterprise is they are engaging in more than one channel. Albeit one of the channels maybe in development or deployment, but multiple channels is a key definition of OCR. Ideally, the selected participants should be able to demonstrate that they engage with the customer during their buying journey through different channels. Meaning, an early part of the buying process may be done in one channel, and another stage is completed in another channel. This is a key difference between MCR and OCR, which is the integration of channels, meaning the customer can go through their buying process and change between different channels smoothly. Lastly, if possible, different and multiple representatives will be invited from each organisation to get different perspectives, whether coming from different functions or autonomy levels, to get a wider view on the system, that is, the participating retail organisation.
The scanning for potential participating organisations were a mix of referrals, reaching out to industry bodies or directly to the organisation. There were challenges in getting participation. Generally, it was related to time limitations or the requirement to ask for two participants from organisations that are small from the start. During this time, there were intermittent lockdowns of retailers due to COVID-19, putting a lot of pressure on retailers at the time when the focus was to survive. Three Australian organisations enlisted to participate in the research: a handbag retailer, a bookseller, and a cosmetics brand. All fell within the critical selection criteria. The following people were interviewed from each of the organizations: (a) two co-founders of the handbag retailer (noted in this paper as participant 1A and 1B), (b) an operations employee and the founder of the bookseller (participant 2A and 2B), and (c) an e-commerce manager and a marketing manager (participant 3A and 3B). Every interview was recorded and transcribed.
5.2. Data Analysis Process
The interviews were analyzed in a systematic way to have a clear understanding of changes in business models and the principles of CAS. This involves a multifaceted process, best represented as being based on several key phases, each playing a significant role in the overall thematic analysis.
The first task involved the transcription of the recordings of the interviews. We used a speech-to-text software to transcribe word-for-word every recorded conversation to ensure their accuracy. After such transcription was complete, we verified the transcribed text against the original audio recordings. This constituted a necessary step to maintain the integrity of the responses given by the participants and to correct any possible mistakes made during the transcription phase, ensuring each interview was well represented.
From the very beginning of the analysis, it was crucial to use a strong conceptual framework that would provide guidelines for our investigation into the data. Accordingly, we chose the dual frameworks of Business Models (BM) and Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) principles as the supporting frameworks for this analysis. This dual approach was very helpful in organizing and sorting the responses, making it easier to understand how the interviewees’ responses are connected to the BM changes and the key principles of complex systems.
After preliminary work had been done, the interviews were mapped into a BM & CAS matrix. For this, the matrix had two axes, with different types of business model changes and activities listed on the vertical axis, while on the horizontal axis were defined six principles of CAS. The exact responses given by each participant were studied for their categorization in relation either to a certain change in the business model or to any particular principle of CAS. For that, several iterative cycles were made regarding the re-reading of transcripts for emerging key themes and trends. Subsequently, we were able to match certain comments and opinions voiced by the respondents with the appropriate categories in the matrix. Whenever responses were more generalized or could not fit into the already-set categories, we recorded such information as general comments. This way, we were able to achieve a holistic view of the participants’ insights while maintaining the integrity of the structure of the analysis.
Based on this categorization, we further analyzed the data in a more detailed way. To make this more illustrative and easier to understand, we used coloring of the matrix cells to graphically show the evidence strength for every CAS principle with respect to the respective business model changes: dark green color meant that the evidence was strong, represented by direct quotations or striking examples given by the participants. Less saturated greens reflected evidence that was weaker or indirect. White cells were used where no evidence existed, or the strategy was not relevant to the CAS principles. This display allowed for immediate recognition of where the strongest capabilities in CAS were expressed and indicated any possible gaps or discrepancies in participant narratives. We also documented negative evidence, which highlighted situations that took the opposite direction of characteristics that would have been expected from the CAS participants, thus enriching the analytic process and providing far-reaching insights into the various complexities.
The peak of the analysis stage was interpreting the data that had been organized. Using our experience and knowledge of the setting where the study was conducted, as themes emerged in the matrix, we induced themes. This interpretative phase then required synthesizing the collected evidence to articulate, in detail, an informed understanding of participants’ experiences—particularly with respect to their operational adaptations in response to shifting market dynamics. We subsequently juxtaposed the identified themes against established BM and CAS frameworks to assess how well organizations were adapting and evolving within a rapidly changing environment. This also brought to light not only the strengths and successes of the organizations but also those areas that are in critical need of improvement, which will inform subsequent strategic decisions.
The last activity entailed a cross-organizational analysis in order to explore the similarities and differences in their approaches toward business model changes and the development of CAS capability. A cross-organizational perspective further supported these findings in a richer context for the complexities of adaptation issues evident in each organization. It follows, therefore, that the analysis of data was structured and iterative in that themes could emerge to truly represent the essence of the participants’ experiences. This systematic approach implements the BM and CAS frameworks in concert with rigorous organization and techniques for data analysis to enable an in-depth investigation of how changes at the market level influence organizational behavior and adaptability.
6. Findings
In this chapter, we are going to describe the findings from the three business organizations. First, we delineated the findings from a handbag retailer. Later, the findings from a bookseller are described. The chapter concludes with the findings from a cosmetics retailer and a comparison of the three businesses.
6.1. Handbag Retailer
The first organization in the study is a fashion accessories brand, retailing handbags with a focus on quality and with a sustainable positive objective. The bags are handmade in Sydney, Australia. The organisation is a micro-business run by the two co-founders who both engaged in this study. The founders have a team of up to 10 comprised of family members and friends. The “unpaid employees”, as described by participant 1A, support in design, manufacturing, marketing, logistics, and warehouse operations. Some of which have professional skills in their respective area of contribution in the organisation. This business had quintessential start-up characteristics. The two business partners are also mid-level senior managers working for large corporate companies both in commercial and business backgrounds. They run this handbag business in addition to these responsibilities. A key aspect of this organisation’s value proposition, according to one of the founders, was the quality of their handmade product and their sustainability focus through using recycled material. Hence, the physical and tactile experience was integral in their channel landscape.
Over a short period of time, this microbusiness, or as expressed by participant 1B “a start-up of two”, made significant development of their channels and business model. The handbag retailer launched as a “digital first” B2C (Business-to-Consumers) business. Starting with digital channels such as Instagram, an online store, and by engaging with another third-party platform Shopify. This third-party platform enabled an easy integration of both the front and back end. Providing solutions for their domain as well as inventory, making it quite an integrated experience for the customer and the back-end operations. Demonstrating some signs of OCR infrastructure and capabilities. Since their value proposition was reliant on a more tactile experience, they established their physical presence in local outdoor markets in certain beachside communities of Sydney, which were described as “artisan craft and fashion markets” by participant 1B. The demographics of these local markets were the target audience for this business. The digital channels, though, gave them a “multiplier effect”, as in it exposed their brand in a wider forum, according to participant 1A. However, it didn’t give them the “face-to-face feedback around our product when we first launched”, as said by participant 1B. It was shared by participant 1B that, “it’s a very saturated market… harder to get to the right target market”, referring to the challenges of the digital channels. She further explained the observed customer behaviour of showrooming, the concept that after entering the local market store, consumers engage with their products and purchase the handbags online thereafter. This demonstrates omnichannel consumer behaviour within their channels and thus suggests some OCR capabilities.
Within 3–6 months from launch, the organisation continued to develop their channel landscape. Though they had hesitations with engaging with more digital third-party platforms, they found a new business venture that did not jeopardise their original value proposition. According to the two participants, they established their eBay channel as an optimal channel for selling “componentry” and “over supply stock” that were “non-branded”. Continuing with the digital channel, they added another third-party commerce platform Etsy, which provided again a complete solution for the front and back end. Furthermore, this platform met the organisation’s “brand equity”, that is, aligning with their business values according to participant 1A. Overall, the business partners found the third-party platforms as having significant benefits as they “democratised platforms” and meant “barriers are low”, according to participant 1B. Here, she refers to having more access to solutions, with fewer challenges and capital required compared to past eras of new business establishment. It is worth noting they use Alibaba also, another digital third-party platform for sourcing materials and components. The digital platforms proved to be a key lifeline to keep the business running during the pandemic and the imposed restrictions that came. Then the business partners added to the physical channel through a partnership with a pop-up retail store in a shopping centre in Sydney. This retailer is called the “Hills & West Australian Made Collection”, which also focuses on locally made products from local artisans. This channel was deemed “really successful”, as reported by participant 1B. These examples of new touchpoints were not only channel developments but also demonstrated other changes in their business model. The deployment in eBay added to their original value proposition, whereas partnering with the pop-up retail store added B2B to their original B2C-only business model.
Another key area of change in their business model was around process development or rather back-end operations. The changes and development of their channels, but also natural growth of their business impacted how they operated. They encountered changes needed in their tooling and manufacturing processes for efficiency. Secondly, the increase in channels and sales needed a more efficient freight provider that was faster, more cost-effective, and had an improved returns process and ultimately, a better customer experience. This change in freight service provider also led to a change and development of their packaging to suit the freight agreements. This involved reducing the size of the packaging but also changing to sustainable packaging materials. This was more attuned to their sustainability values—another change in their value proposition. Notably, the packaging change was already in their consideration before the change of freight processes came about.
Throughout the interviews, the two participants 1A & 1B, overall, demonstrated CAS capabilities. Quite early in the interview, participant 1A highlighted their experience with starting up the business and having to iterate continuously. As in learning, making multiple mistakes, as well as having to constantly test and try solutions. This came through how they enabled the major changes to their BM and channels. Navigating between the digital and physical channels supported by the statement from participant 1B with “experimenting… and trying to understand which markets and channels are best for your business”. This was also evident when participant 1B described how they had to “find better and quicker ways to manufacture” due to the higher volume demands driven by the development of their channels.
The handbag organisation’s decision-making was evident on different levels, both on long-term directions but also on operational matters. More importantly, it was with intent, efficiency, and autonomy, which are key elements of the CAS principle, Interconnected autonomous agents. Participant 1B captured their decision-making capabilities with the statements below. They demonstrated the ability to take different decisions based on the extent of complexity or weight of the decision.
“Agile, but not ad hoc, but intentional decision-making… we are very agile in terms of how we make our decisions”.
“So, it was very much organic in terms of the sense of alright, what decisions do we have to make to continue with this business”.
The organisation also demonstrated their quick decision-making not just as founders but also how their organisation or actors in their system was heavily involved in giving direction and decisions in their area of expertise. This was exemplified in the involvement by their extended “unpaid employees” giving their field of expertise. The interview participants described one member having engineering skill sets who was key in setting up their patterns and machinery, as well as redesigning the bag and resetting their machines when needed. Similarly, their digital marketing colleague was integral in deciding their point-of-sale systems as well as how they were to code and process the data when engaging with the third-party marketplaces. The above-mentioned examples were pertinent to the CAS principle around decisions but also their ability to self-organise and collaborate, which are all CAS principles.
Throughout the interview, the two business partners who sat for the interview demonstrated their capabilities in the other areas of CAS. Participant 1B described how they stopped to assess their current state in the business on a needs basis rather than in set intervals, alluding to Time pacing. This was also captured in her statement having to take “a pause… for a couple of months… regrouped on the channels” while deciding on the effectiveness on their channel development, as well as the comment, “It has been a really organic development”, referring to the overall and fluid progression of their start-up organisation. They showed the ability to be Poised at the edge of chaos during their continuous channel and value proposition development while they faced operational challenges with inventory, manufacturing, freight, and packaging issues. Added to this was the closure of physical channels as a result of the pandemic, which had a significant impact on revenue and the overall survival of the organisation. They constantly moved their attention between strategic and operational activities, suggesting capabilities in being Poise at the edge of time in the same examples but also in the comment from participant 1B describing how they move their focus, time, and energy between strategy and operations with, “where it’s kind of fits depends on how you invest your time… you kind of pivot to what demands of your business are”.
This handbag start-up has had continuous development since it launched less than 2 years ago. When asked during the end of the interview how they see their future, they touched on different parts of their business model changing. One was to optimise their physical channel, a channel that has been key for their value proposition. As stated by participant 1B, they would like to “double down on the power of digital”, wanting to investigate and invest on digital channels further. In particular, investing and “self-educate” in search engine optimisation, as mentioned by participant 1A—an untouched area for them. They highlighted to continue to make time to plan and assess how they develop the business in a balanced way like they had done since the launch of their business. In addition to this, they also expressed reviewing their product line, manufacturing locally versus abroad, and addressing the question of further investment in the business.
6.2. Bookseller
The second small business partaking in the study is a retailer and wholesaler of books. It was founded 40 years ago and is still being led by its founder. The founder employs a handful of employees to run the operations while he manages other parts of the business, such as engaging with retail partners, service providers, accounts, payroll, managing his employees, and getting hands-on with operations when needed. This small business had seen many business models changes over decades with its roots starting as a publishing company. The business model to date has been B2B, selling to niche book retailers despite having an online store. This organisation has experienced the impact of digitalization like the rest of the book retail industry when Amazon first entered in the late 1990s, forcing a decline of bookselling through traditional brick and mortar stores—this business’ main channel. The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected the current market even more so with retail outlets intermittently being closed. The two participants from this organisation, one an operations employee, participant 2A, and the second being the founder and director as mentioned, participant 2B. The employee shared he was studying for a business degree while working for this organisation. He demonstrated having an innate knowledge of the operations but also an understanding of the digital commerce domain and book industry. Other operations employees were reported to have similar backgrounds doing tertiary education while working for the small business, which led to positive contributions beyond operational work, such as building the initial website for the director. The director was quite involved and remained passionate of the industry. He shared deep knowledge of his own business, the industry, and the adaptations over the past 40 years.
The interview with participant 2B, the director, ended up as a narrative or discussion of all the changes in his book business, as well as the shrinkage of the printed book industry over the period of 40 years. During the interview, he shared the change in his business model, adaption of his value proposition to his customer, and how this bookseller expanded different channels both over the course of time and forcedly due to external factors. In the early 1980s, this bookseller organisation started as a publishing company of photographic books. Over the course of time, the publishing business was not viable, and the business “haemorrhaged”, according to participant 2B. This led the business towards a B2B organisation, wholesaling “remaindering” and “overstocks” of books. The books were bought overseas, sold to niche independent book retailers, but also via “door-to-door” book agents, as told by participant 2B. He continued to narrate the changes as digitalization started to impact the industry the past 2 decades. Participant 2B described it as “digitalization… was just the market change”, or rather the reset of the industry. He recalled how the biggest national book retailer in Australia closed over 300+ retail outlets, and the likes of international brands like Borders being acquired by companies with the intention of closing the business. The demand through retail outlets continued to decrease, including his “door-to-door” network of agents. He described Amazon becoming “the biggest bookseller very quickly”, and they had corrected the market where prices were quite high. All these industry changes led him to move away from the common competition space of top sellers, rather focusing on specific book categories, together with their niche distribution network and keeping competitive with their pricing model. During this phase of the industry, he commented, “I could see it happening… I think I was in survival mode… rather than OK, how do I take advantage”. At this point, his organisation size and revenue had also reduced. This statement also gave some insights to the director’s adaptation capabilities.
Participant 2B continued to describe the changes in their business model, their presence, and use of different channels, as well as their customer base. According to participant 2B, approximately 10 years ago their online store was established with the lead of his tertiary student employee. It is a public domain, though it was primarily used as channel for their B2B customers in addition to their existing channels and processes. It was seldom that they received orders form direct consumers, nor was it their focus. This channel development was also used to clear any overstocks they had. However, during the times of the pandemic, the online store has been a lifeline with sales picking up with participant 2B stating, “thank God we had it, you know we had it up and running... we treated it more seriously”, and “it’s come to its own during COVID”. Before the pandemic, participant 2B shared how the idea of third-party platforms such as Amazon and eBay had been “brewing” in his mind. It was instigated by a supplier in the US having success in the platform and a peer in the industry in the UK. He was also approached by an Amazon recruiter at one point. This point in time was 2018, before COVID-19.
The pandemic greatly impacted the revenue for this business and the retail industry at the turn of 2020. Orders from their B2B network were low due to the overall lower demand but also as many physical channels were closed. Their core business, the network of retailers was forced to close due to the lockdown restrictions in Australia. According to participant 2A, it lifted and forced the idea that had been brewing to make significant changes to their business model in order to survive. This eventuated in expanding to more digital channels through third-party platforms Amazon and eBay. This was also a significant change in their business model by intently targeting direct consumers and opening up a B2C segment of their business model. Participant 2A described it rhetorically as “a bit of a change”, but really, meaning one that is of a significant change for their business. He reported this BM change started as a casual discussion opened by the director with his employees, and this iterated several times. After which the director gave the direction for two of his employees, the university students, to start investigating the business case for the new channels. Participant 2A being one of these involved and the other operational employee having computer engineering studies. Thus, one can say these two employees whose general tasks were operational responsibilities had some knowledge leading into the business case investigation. From the first casual discussion, this came to reality and operating quite quickly in a month, as explained by participant 2A. Within this rapid time frame, they had made significant changes in the BM. That is, the addition of B2C to their predominant B2B business, through the implementation of Amazon and eBay as third-party channels. It is worth noting that these are significant changes considering the business model generally remained the same for several decades. Through the business case investigation their value proposition changed, targeting volume and price, referred to as a “brand-less approach” by participant 2A. This was due to the price aggressiveness of competition in the third-party platforms where they needed to act with a new pricing strategy. Whereas for most of the time, this bookseller was targeting niche clientele.
The reduction of orders due to the industry changes had led to other changes in their infrastructure and back end, both more strategically planned and reactively. As physical stores reduced, the buying strategy also had to change. It went from full container consignments to part-filled shared containers, which resulted in a reduction in capital investments but also operations. Quite quickly, the change in volume from their Amazon and eBay channels highlighted adaptations that were needed in their packing and freight processes. It led to a sudden need for new scanning equipment, packing processes, and a freight service provider. Their daily operations and scheduling also had to change. Participant 2A described how they needed to now monitor the pricing daily in their Amazon and eBay marketplaces as part of operations to ensure competitiveness against other booksellers, whereas participant 2B described the “internal tension” as they faced the operational changes and increase in B2C orders as the result of the marketplaces. Operations up to now were set on pallet orders to now including more single-book parcels. The director, participant 2B, stated the current share of business from the B2C marketplaces to be 15% in a short period of time and, “they’re becoming important customers”, in particular under a pandemic and constantly changing industry.
Between the two participants from the book organisation, they demonstrated evidence of CAS capabilities, in particular with the principles of Interconnected autonomous agents, Self-organisation and Co-evolution. Participant 2A described how just through simple discussions and checkpoints with the director, two operational employees were able to go from idea to operational with the new third-party channels in approximately a month. They made decisions and changes on the go as things emerged, both during the business case investigation but also post launch. This demonstrated having autonomy to make decisions, being able to self-organise, innovate, and collaborate as an organisation. These capabilities were also demonstrated from the account from participant 2A regarding the changes needed with their internal processes, such as price monitoring, the new packaging, and freight processes. The employees were able to suggest as well as decide on the new adaptations. He shared in the interview that there were frameworks, decisions, and engagement when needed with participant 2B, the director. This was also corroborated by participant 2B in saying how he engages with his employees, asking, “what do we need to improve?” As a director, he also demonstrated these CAS capabilities as an actor in the organisation and in the value chain. He demonstrated during the multiple changes in the book industry how he made significant changes in his business model. He engaged with his business partners in the wholesaling business but also with the new marketplace platforms. All of which, as individuals and an organisation, showed having the capabilities with decision-making collaboration and organisation.
The data collected from the interviews also presented other CAS capabilities. Participant 2B stated, “We never descended to chaos. I’ve got to say that. I think naturally I’m pretty conservative… though I might do something crazy things”. Suggesting despite the significant changes in the industry and the unexpected closures of their retail partners due to the pandemic, they managed to innovate, operate their business, and maintain relatively poised, demonstrating CAS principle number four, Poise at the edge of chaos. This calmness and balance were also evident in the director’s approach with all the changes in his business over 40 years, whether it was the closure of publishing, adding B2B, then B2C to the business model, and adaptation of technology solutions. He described his approach as “progressive development”, making the strategic decisions more organically, over a rhythmic timing and pace, indicating capabilities in the area of Time Pacing and Poise at the edge of time.
At times during the interview, participant 2B, the director, did show behaviours opposite to the CAS capabilities, suggesting he was not as strong in some or even showed contradicting evidence against some of the capabilities. There were moments that they were closer to tipping over to chaos with comments such as, “I was in survival mode” and “No my problem is I’m very good at crisis management… There is a temptation to not face the issues… I got to plan better… you got to face the issues… if you don’t face the issues, you don’t have a business.” He also expressed how in the realm and acceptance of technology solutions were “by accident”, “discovery”, and “resistant” initially, thus, suggesting less awareness or conviction in the areas of Time Pacing and Poise at the edge of time.
When asked about the future of their bookselling organisation, both participants expressed prosperity, positive outlook, though with concerns. Participant 2A iterated the tough competition and the impacts of digitalization but highlighted playing to their “strengths”. Also, through optimisation, as well as continuation with their focus on niche B2B network and book titles. Whereas participant 2B gave an outlook that they are “here to stay” despite the “assault” of the big digital giants like Amazon and Apple, who has affected the book industry. He expressed opportunities in optimising their digital channels as well as new value propositions such as the second-hand book market. At the same time, participant 2B shared the urgency to again face these challenges, claiming it is a “pressing issue at the moment… need to give myself a deadline”. He closed the interview with “maybe some people think I’m in perpetual chaos, and I’m in perpetual anxiety, but maybe it’s just me... you never have enough totally under control”. This again indicates both being close to chaos but at the same keeping calm, showing both evidence and contradiction to having certain parts of the CAS capabilities.
6.3. Cosmetics Retailer
The third organisation involved in this research is a cosmetics brand that retails a coffee-based body wash. The product itself had been on the market for more than 15 years but has been acquired by a brand management corporation in recent years. At this point, the brand had been running a very limited product range of three skews, though it has had success with the portfolio. The brand management corporation holds in excess of 30 brands in recent years. It is a multinational organisation, having stakeholders and presence in several markets, in particular in China, where it has seen solid success with the same product. There is a team managing the body wash brand locally in Australia employing around five staff members, which includes management and specialist competencies. The organisation is the focus for this study. In addition to this are resources assigned to the Australian team pulled from a common group of resources under the brand management corporation. This is assigned based on budgets, projects, and activities. Also, to support the local team are other resources such as contracted marketing agencies. The scope of the research is on small organisations, and the focus here will be on the Australian organisation. However, its relation to the bigger system is of context and became apparent during the interviews. One of the participants in the study is the E-commerce manager employed in the Australian local team, participant 3A. The other is a consulting marketing manager contracted to the Australian portfolio, participant 3B. The two participants have experience working for other major national and international retailers, also who have had retail digital transformations. Both were involved in the local brand with a task to relaunch after the acquisition by the brand management corporation. At the very beginning, both participants in their respective interviews demonstrated rich knowledge of the retail industry and digitalization. They were well versed in business generally, the different channel characteristics, digital implementations, corporate structure and dynamics, as well as OCR. They gave an impression as skilled and experienced professionals equipped to deliver on their To-be objective.
According to the interview participants, the objective for the cosmetics brand was to rebrand and relaunch in the Australian market after it had been dormant and the acquisition by the larger brand management corporation. This was the main change in focus in their business model. It entailed changing their target market and the value proposition. Another element of this BM change was to expand more in their channels, in particular, more contemporary channels such as third-party platforms and social media. Participant 3A described prior to the new ownership having several channels established, channels that were both B2B and B2C. There was an online store and presence in several cosmetics retailers, including the biggest department stores in Australia. Their channels were somewhat linked and made the movement between channels fluidly, thus, showing competence and demonstration of OCR. Up to this point, since the birth of the cosmetics brand, it has had business success and a good following of customers, as shared by participant 3B. Participant 3A recounted having achieved expansion of their channels, having implemented channels through Amazon, Instagram, and presence with new online cosmetics retailers. They had also acquired some data analytics, search engine optimisation capabilities to gather performance results, and insights on their channels. She cited that they had executed these changes with agility and a motto of “test and learn” and “if we fail, we fail” within their organisation. On the rebranding of the business, a completely new look and feel to their marketing package was developed. It was now a “young” direction, targeting a younger demographic. The interviews also extracted how the brand had been launched in China and in other markets like the UK, USA, and New Zealand by the other organisations under the brand management corporation. The launch in China proved to be very successful. According to participant 3A, this led to activities being initiated first in the Chinese market first by the corporation and then followed-through into the Australian brand activities. The portfolio in China became the focus for the corporation. This prioritisation both yielded positive and detrimental effects on the Australian organisation. This affected the allocation of resources and support. Another significant change in their business model was in their manufacturing, procurement, and distribution processes. Participant 3A reported this change in their processes and infrastructure was part of the iterations they experienced having expanded in several markets. Overall, this was deemed a positive result for the Australian operations.
The two interviews also gathered conflicting and negative evidence within the organisation. Rather, it presented a different result to the expected To-be objective for the Australian cosmetics portfolio, which was to rebrand and relaunch. Instead, it was reported by participant 3B the brand as “struggling” and things “were on hold” after all the activities, while participant 3A cited the Australian portfolio was challenged to “break even”. When this became evident, more time was spent during the interviews to understand the situation, especially when it seemed that they had delivered the new channels, marketing packages, and made significant improvements in their internal processes effectively. Both interviews presented a disconnect between the brand management corporation and the Australian portfolio team. Participant 3A shared how the aim was to rebrand and relaunch the portfolio, though nothing significant had changed with the product—the very essence of any value proposition. There was no product development. The line had remained stagnant for more than a decade as three skews. Ultimately, the value proposition had not changed. The interview with participant 3B corroborated with the lack of development in the range nor in securing supply to coincide with the relaunch that was promised. Contributing to this dilemma was the repackaging of their marketing material that was targeting a younger demographic. According to her, it “alienated” the existing customer base, which left them having to start from scratch. At the same time, the lack of development in the product and value proposition meant they were out of sync with the pricing and product offer for the younger target presented in their new marketing material, which, according to her, was a very saturated product category already and hard to compete in without a clear unique selling point. Participant 3A shared her frustration with the disconnect from the decision-making and tactical planning influenced heavily by the corporation with the statement, “why do they even bother to involve me in the first place”, sharing her resentment with the corporation. On the other hand, participant 3B described the executive group making decisions, the “centralised team”, as having “a lot of high-level thinking… no one actually there with the detail”, and “concepts are great…it’s just the execution when they don’t resource it correctly”. She also commented on their decision-making with the statement, “not lead necessarily by facts and data, and more by assumptions”, as well as having an “ego mentality” and not having a “commercial mind-set”. This was surprising, as it seemed there were competent people within the Australian portfolio organisation. With the business struggling, it was shared in the interview how investment and resources were restricted for the Australian portfolio. The corporation was “mitigating costs” and “they just wanted to sweep it under the rug”, as stated by participant 3B. They, the Australian portfolio, were under “the mercy of much much bigger markets”. She refers to the successful Chinese market, which was getting more attention and investment.
Initially, the evidence of CAS capabilities was promising across the different principles within the Australian portfolio team. Participant 3A emphasised their ability to make decisions, do iterations, “test and learn”, and giving the impression of having a balanced approach with foresight and acting on what is in front of them. She also cited that meetings and decisions internally were both structured but also done on the spot when needed. All of which indicate capabilities as being Interconnected autonomous agents and having Self-organisation. Their achievement in developing their new digital channels, data capabilities, and developing their manufacturing and compliance processes also suggests capacity in being Poise at the edge of time. As a bigger brand management corporation, they also demonstrated the same capability by being able to handle with poise operating 30 brands and expand in different markets around the globe.
During the two interviews, there were multiple statements from both participants indicating a lack of CAS capabilities, or even strong opposing behaviour evident in their business model changes and activities. Participant 3B mentioned the Australian cosmetics portfolio was struggling and, “people didn’t care what’s happening… abnormal”. She described the situation with the corporate group’s rebranding and relaunch ambitions to be mismatched to any commercial acumen or the reality of the underperforming Australian portfolio. This presents a disconnect between strategy and reality, thus indicating lacking capabilities in Co-evolution, Poise at the edge of Chaos and Poise at the edge of time. This is further supported by the statement, “big lag on foresight… on ends and flows… also on how to adjust”. Here, participant 3B describes the disjointed nodes between strategy, execution, and operations. Furthermore, also not being able to reverse the chaos of the underperforming business. Both participants described the wider organisation to be reactive and return on investment-driven. A poor result meant a tightening on investment and resources. Again, indicating a lack in strategic thinking and an inability to act on the current situation. Several times both participants commented on the many “moving parts” in the wider organisation, referring to the expansion in other markets. This impacted the Australian portfolio team’s support and resources from the corporation. “They struggled” to have balance, “chaos led to chaos”, according to participant 3A. Again, indicating lacking capability in Poise at the edge of chaos. Another major gap between the Australian and corporation was the capability to communicate, engage, and collaborate in the wider system—the areas of Self organisation and Co-evolution. Participant 3B gave her view on this capability in the statement, “here’s my idea, go and do it”, indicating it was a one-way collaboration from the corporate level to the local portfolio team. This belief was the same with participant 3A when she shared that the corporate level had “firm” views and employee input was not valued. When it comes to decision-making within the bigger brand management corporation, both participants commented how they were inept in this capability. Participant 3B described the corporate organisation as being slow with making decisions, caught in “corporate red tape”, and more so not involving or giving autonomy to the Australian portfolio organisation. During the interviews, both participants cited the larger corporation claiming to be an incubator hub for all its brands, where the ethos was to be agile, develop, and act like start-ups. However, the experience shared by the two participants was opposite to this and left a perception of more control.
At the end of interview, participant 3A described the To-be state for this cosmetic brand in Australia needing a holistic overhaul of the business model, rather than just rebranding and relaunching. It is needing product development, a clearer value proposition to the right target market, as well as investment, resources to expand and optimise their channels. In addition to this, participant 3B commented on the need to address the “internal dissonance” in the wider organisation. Calling for more collaboration, communication, and involvement is needed between the corporate and local portfolio management group. It was evident that the different parts of the organisation demonstrated some of the CAS capabilities in the smaller and larger system. However, the evidence gathered in the interviews showed a disconnect and a lack of these CAS capabilities between the Australian team and the corporate group—where there was clear dependency or structure between the two—despite claiming to be a hub for incubators.
The following Table 1 compares the findings from the three businesses.
7. Discussion
The construct of the business model holds an organisation in its entirety as a holistic system. In the context of OCR transformation, this remains imperative and a key success factor. All three organisations involved showed evidence of having multi-layered changes that impacted their systems or organisations. Though the initial line of inquiry of the research was on the channel dimension, it sought to find where else were the BM changes. The participants described significant changes on their channels, in general more about expanding their channel development. From the interviews, we saw both the more intentional and unexpected changes in their business model. The more intentional and holistic the BM change within the organisation the more impactful, irrespective of size of the change. Some were better prepared and some handled unexpected elements more effectively, whether it was related to the pandemic settings or not.
A recurring theme from the findings was the tension between planned business model adaptation and realized outcomes. This would suggest a disconnection between the strategic intentions of SMEs and the actual capability to deliver and sustain such changes effectively. For example, the cosmetics brand’s plan to rebrand and target a younger audience using digital channels faced challenges due to insufficient product innovation, leading to a gap between their goals and customer expectations. This shows how difficult it can be to align strategic goals with operational realities and customer needs, especially with limited resources.
Accordingly, the strategic growth of the bookstore into B2C channels fell right in place with the objectives of diversification and integration of digital means. However, the inability to scale digital capabilities and maintain pricing competitiveness restricted realized benefits. This resulted in operational strain with incomplete realization of expected outcomes. The agile approach of the handbag retailer toward omnichannel retailing showed promise but exposed gaps in scaling successful initiatives on account of inadequate infrastructure and expertise. These cases show how challenging it is for SMEs to turn their strategic goals into reality, and how even small changes can have a big impact on the whole business. This tension underlines the critical need to have SMEs taking more holistic approaches to the adaptation of business models. Without a careful alignment between the planned adaptations and the organization’s capabilities, SMEs are at risk of poor performances or unexpected problems. Our findings also indicated that phased approaches to transformation in SMEs could further facilitate continuous learning and adaptation with minimum demand for resources. The tension must be managed through both strategic planning and operational flexibility, with a strong focus on aligning value propositions with execution capabilities.
All engaged in newer technology-driven channels such as third-party platforms or marketplaces, and social media. The small organisations demonstrated how achievable this was and notably over a short period of time. Participant 1B from the handbag retailer discussed the ease of being able to do a start-up business from scratch through “democratised platforms” and how “barriers are lower” in regard to building up channels and a business. This was also supported by participant 2A from the bookseller organisation and how they were able to enable their new B2C venture through Amazon and eBay within a month. Both organisations also commented on the lower capital and effort in deploying third-party solutions, whereas the cosmetics brand expanded through channels such as social media with the plan to rebrand and relaunch the business. Other benefits of digital channel development drawn from the interviews was its “multiplier effect”, the ability get your market in an open stage instantly, as stated by participant 1A. Moreover, benefits discussed were the integrated solutions with a web domain and inventory management, as well as direct support from the third-party provider. All of which simplified the channel development for the small organisations. This clearly demonstrated third-party solutions as an enabler for small business retail transformation. Assessing the digital channels of the organisations showed elements of integration between them, that is, an OCR infrastructure. The handbag retailer and cosmetics brand had fluidity and connection between their channels—demonstrating some OCR capabilities—albeit there were some less advantageous elements in engaging in third-party solutions, such as being in a saturated market and competition space. The handbag retailer had to find the right provider that matched their “brand equity” so their value proposition was not lost. The bookseller experienced price competitiveness in the marketplaces, which forced them to review their pricing model, that is, their value proposition. This also triggered them to tactically monitor their pricing regularly on a daily level as part of a new process due to the price competitiveness in marketplaces. There were challenges mentioned regarding partnership with the big providers, where you become one of many and less of a business partner. This was reported to be the case for the larger dominant marketplaces. Despite some of these challenges, similar to the findings by Li et al. [19], third-party solutions were a positive and a critical enabler for developing the channel space for the small businesses, but also towards OCR.
Notably, all the small businesses involved discussed the physical presence or retail store that their business model relied on, and notably for the future. The findings from the interviews lead to and anchors the relevance of physical stores moving forward for the retail industry. This is similar to what was found in the existing literature from Bell et al. [2]. Participant 1B even reported the showrooming behaviour known as OCR characteristics when customers move between their outdoor and online market channels [12]. The handbag retailer relied on the tactile experience to meet their brand proposition. Pandemic or not, they hope to build on their physical channels. Similarly, the cosmetics brand stated the same need with more physical touchpoints in the future. Although they were heavily involved in digital channels, they believe that a physical and more enriched customer experience is needed, suggesting more presence in retail outlets and even product demonstrations. This is to support their product and value proposition but also to differentiate themselves from a saturated market. As for the bookseller, the category that has faced the impact of digitalization in retail also sees that the retail outlets that drive the majority of their niche B2B business of remainder book selling—“are here to stay”. They see a market through this channel, their niche and “strength” whereby they see more optimisation possibilities in the future. This, together with their new B2C segment and digital platforms, foresee the direction of their future.
The interviews also showed other changes to their BM, both large and small. One significant change seen from the handbag retailer and bookseller was the change in their type of business, that is, B2B or B2C. The bookseller who had been predominantly a B2B business for decades opened up and added B2C third-party channels that had been a lifeline during the pandemic, but also now a notable 15% of the business. Over a very short period of time. The handbag retailer, which based their business direct to the customer, took the opportunity to work with another business, the pop-up store, adding a B2B concept to their business, which drove significant revenue. This is to meet their brand objectives but also to counter other impacts of the pandemic. Then, on a smaller scale, the bookseller commented on their new pricing value proposition after joining the marketplaces. The exposure to wider competition led them to act differently with their pricing strategy and activate monitoring as a new internal process. Moreover, the bookseller over several decades demonstrated significant changes to its business model starting from a publishing company to where it is today. This highlights that BM change can be both significant and small, though still complex with its effects on the whole system.
The other major changes or activities seen from the organisations were the changes in their internal processes. All three organisations referred to constant iterations of making mistakes and learning along the way with the changes in their processes. The deployment of the new channels increased the demand for supply for the handbag retailer, which also resulted in changing and redeveloping their manufacturing, packaging, inventory, and freight processes. Some of which were resultant of the channel development, where some were already in progress but were triggered faster, such as the redevelopment of their packaging to meet their sustainability brand objectives. At the same time was to improve their freight service to the customer. The cosmetics brand described that the expansion into the other overseas markets forced them to learn about the more complex requirements process involved but ultimately shifted their internal processes in a positive way. This was for requirements, but it also impacted their procurement and distribution in a positive way. Whilst the bookseller described their change in internal processes as a result of the new marketplaces were more of a sudden realisation. It poses a few questions on whether these process changes were taken as a holistic BM change. The handbag retailer did demonstrate a considered change with their packaging since it was already a planned change, whereas the bookseller was less prepared with the unexpected changes. It does highlight more conscious consideration needed for a holistic change where the entire system is ultimately impacted by any change. Granted, there will always be emerging and unexpected events like the pandemic, but based on the experiences shared by the participants, a wider perspective, consideration of the BM and the system, would be of benefit for such a transformation. That is to consider the impact on the system and the complete value chain of an organisation. By doing so it could potentially yield more optimum results, fewer mistakes, and more time for strategic planning, which they all yearned for.
It is quite critical that all parts of the business infrastructure, front and back end are considered, together with a synchronised change implementation. With this as a foundation in complex changes, smaller iterations of work or scope may be more beneficial and effective for small businesses. The advantage for small retailers is the smaller value chain, which should lead to simpler networks and an impact on the organisation compared to large, complex organisations. The participating organisations did demonstrate they were able to implement both complex and simpler changes. However, taking smaller changes in a BM could work effectively, especially with the limited factors such as time, resources, and even investment capital. All of which they stressed as key challenges and success factors. Participant 2B, during the discussion at the end and having worked with many companies, proposed the idea of simplifying OCR transformation. She expressed how that OCR is not about “flashy unnecessary bells and whistles”, referring to all the new concepts coming through in the retail industry. Examples including augmented reality retail tools or new digital screens in stores. Rather, she believes retail transformation is about fixing the current bottlenecks today such as returns, delivery issues, or inconsistent product information across different channels. All of which will support the disjointed experience left by the MCR era [6]. According to her, many of the solutions in the retail industry “still works”, and the need is “optimisation” of the current retail foundations. These comments also resonate with keeping the BM changes in an organisation simple, though thorough, optimising on existing infrastructure with a well-executed front and back end of the entire infrastructure.
Similar to the deployment of third-party platforms, the enablement of other digital capabilities was discussed. The cosmetics brand was the most active regarding data analytics. They had implemented SEO capabilities and actively mined consumer reviews for some of their business activities. The handbag retailer had not invested time or capital to other data solutions. However, they acknowledged SEO and other capabilities as key areas of investment needed for their business. On the other hand, the bookseller was the slowest in technology adoptions, having shared resistance to the change initially. Like the positive developments shown in the third-party solutions which enabled new channels, there is more potential for small businesses to adopt other technology solutions, such as SEO or even technology-related competencies, which were also cited by some of the participants. They have the potential to integrate front-end channels like those experienced with the cosmetics brand as well as gain capabilities such as automated decision-making through data analytics with regard to target markets or even inventory distribution. All of which are critical for OCR transformation. The findings in the interviews identify this as a need and gap for small businesses. It highlights the question on how to make this more accessible for small businesses that are generally more time, capital, and knowledge disadvantaged. Though one significant and good example from this research is how third-party platforms have contributed to enabling small business retailers. This study also addresses the call for more empirical research showing the relationship between digital technology and omnichannel retailing [23] by highlighting the complexity in the transformation with the implementation of digital technology.
Vidgen and Wang [26] as well as Kautz et al. [25] described the principles of the CAS theory to be connected and intertwined. This was evident in our findings. Many of the activities or BM changes by the participating organisations demonstrated multiple CAS principles at the same time. For example, when the handbag retailer had to make changes to their production and design, the organisation achieved this through effective decision-making, organisation, and collaboration, which is the first three CAS principles. Therefore, it places importance on demonstrating all principles by the organisation to deem having the ability to perform a significant BM change such as OCR. Hence, as such the demonstration in width across the capabilities by the participating organisations is a determining factor in CAS but also OCR capability. This interconnectivity was also the case when there was opposing behaviour in one of the CAS principles, it was visible in another.
Following the BM & CAS Categorisation Matrix mapping and analysis for each of the organisations, Figure 3 below shows an aggregate and visualisation of their CAS capabilities based on the findings (the arrows with different colours). This follows the same approach as the coding phase; the darker the colour indicates stronger CAS capability. The lighter the colour means weaker evidence. The darker colourisation indicates strong evidence captured from the interviews, whether through direct examples or led to an impression of applied behaviour in other examples. The three organisations demonstrated CAS capabilities, the handbag retailer and bookseller showing the most out of the six capabilities. Based on the collected responses, the participating organisations had the first capabilities of Interconnected autonomous agents and Self-organisation. The gaps or challenges were in Time Pacing and Poise at the edge of time. These two CAS principles presented (orange arrows in the figure) the biggest potential for the participating small businesses, or even the defining factors for complex transformation. Whereas the first few principles around decision-making and organisation presented as almost natural behaviours embedded within the organisations evident through several examples, suggesting these are the minimum set of CAS behaviours for an organisation to be able to go further into complex transformation.
8. Conclusions
The retail industry in the past decades has seen significant changes as a result of digitalization. More recently, it has been going through the multichannel retailing phase. Today and for the future, the aim is to be at omnichannel retailing whereby the objective is to have a more integrated customer experience but also more streamlined operations for the industry. The leaders in this field called OCR as an emerging concept for the industry. This study confirms that OCR remains an area for development and similarly for small retail businesses. This was verified through the combined BM and CAS conceptual framework used for the study and resulted in the Omnichannel Retail Transformation Assessment Framework (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). Additionally, this study justified this hybrid conceptual framework to be a relevant assessment tool for OCR transformation by evaluating the To-be transformation and adaptability behaviours of the small businesses involved.
The data collected presented a wide scope of changes in their business models and components involved from the participating organisations, as well as across their value chain. The changes encompassed the critical elements of a business model including its core value proposition, the actors involved, the processes, and technology solutions. Some even showing integrated front- and back-end solutions exhibiting some OCR capabilities. The study validated small retail organisations having CAS capabilities. Albeit there were areas needing further consideration in their BM approach, including a more considerate and thorough assessment of the impact of the changes throughout the organisation as well as the value chain. It was also evident there were gaps and weaknesses in CAS capabilities, in particular in the Time pacing and Poise on the edge of time capabilities. Both of which could support in further progression in OCR transformation and in a more effective way. Parallel to the overall industry, OCR remains at its early phases, and this is the same for small retail organisations, which was captured in this study. They are in the transformation, though at the beginning of it.
This research offers valuable practical insights. Small businesses should have a holistic approach when adapting their business models to the omnichannel retail landscape. Third-party platforms and digital channels can enable fast transformation. However, it is important for a small business to consider the broader implication of such changes on their overall operations, including internal processes, pricing strategy, and customer value proposition. Business firms can respond to many of these challenges by embracing a change process that is phased, iterative, and focused on continuous learning and operational flexibility. Furthermore, investment in foundational digital technologies such as SEO and data analytics enables better decision-making and greater competitiveness. However, it is important that businesses first optimize the infrastructure and processes that they already have, rather than moving directly to higher-order solutions, for an easier and more sustainable transformation.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization: M.B. and S.C.; methodology: M.B.; Investigation: M.B.; formal analysis: M.B.; writing—original draft preparation: M.B. and S.C.; writing—review and editing: S.C.; supervision: S.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from the subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
Date are contained within the article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Figure 1.
Common themes in research on OCR transformation.
Figure 2.
Omnichannel Retail Transformation Conceptual Framework.
Figure 3.
Complex Adaptive System Assessment.
Table 1.
Comparison of the three business organizations.
| Aspect | Handbag Retailer | Bookstore | Cosmetics Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organizational Structure | Agile, decentralized, local autonomy. | Small, community-focused, limited resources. | Centralized, hierarchical, limited autonomy for Australian team. |
| Decision-Making | Fast, flexible, “test and learn”. | Slow, hindered by resource constraints. | Slow, top-down, local input ignored. |
| Business Model Change | Transition to omnichannel retail. | Slowly adapting to digital retail while maintaining local presence. | Rebranding failed due to no product innovation. |
| Digital Integration | Strong digital focus (Instagram, e-commerce). | Struggling to integrate e-commerce. | Added digital channels but lacked product alignment. |
| Market Focus and Resources | Well-funded, focused on digital transformation. | Limited resources for digital growth, focused on local market. | Resources directed to China; Australia underfunded. |
| Product Development | Continuously evolving products. | Minimal changes, emphasis on digital over inventory. | No innovation; disconnect with rebranding. |
| Cultural Approach | Innovative, experimental, empowered teams. | Traditional, community-oriented, resistant to rapid change. | Frustrated, disconnect between local team and corporate group. |
| E-commerce Strategy | Strong omnichannel, seamless integration. | Gradual e-commerce growth, resource-limited. | Expanded e-commerce but failed to attract younger market. |
| Internal Friction | Minimal, enabling fast response. | Low friction but constrained by resources. | High friction between local and corporate teams. |
| Strategic Alignment | Aligned strategy, focused on omnichannel. | Focused on local engagement, struggles with digital integration. | Misaligned strategy, failed relaunch, inconsistent corporate support. |
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MDPI and ACS Style
Baldivia, M.; Chowdhury, S. Adapting Business Models in the Age of Omnichannel Transformation: Evidence from the Small Retail Businesses in Australia. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2025, 20, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20010001
AMA Style
Baldivia M, Chowdhury S. Adapting Business Models in the Age of Omnichannel Transformation: Evidence from the Small Retail Businesses in Australia. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research. 2025; 20(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleBaldivia, Michael, and Soumitra Chowdhury. 2025. "Adapting Business Models in the Age of Omnichannel Transformation: Evidence from the Small Retail Businesses in Australia" Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 20, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20010001
APA StyleBaldivia, M., & Chowdhury, S. (2025). Adapting Business Models in the Age of Omnichannel Transformation: Evidence from the Small Retail Businesses in Australia. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20010001