Technological advances and changes in customer behaviour implicate a continuing integration of online and offline activities of businesses and individuals. As customers use online and offline channels complementarily, enterprises need to attend both physical and virtual trade levels in equal measure. Integrated business concepts are increasingly becoming a prerequisite for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage and alliances between traditional enterprises and Internet-based ventures are a promising way of meeting these requirements.

Tobias Kollmann and Matthias Häsel explore the manifold possibilities of cross-channel cooperation and present the first systematic investigation and classification of cooperation strategies between partners equipped with online and offline business models. They provide a conceptual framework to understand the subject and examine the practical implications for the implementation of their new concept.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Kollmann ist Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für E-Business und E-Entrepreneurship der Universität Duisburg-Essen, Campus Essen.
Matthias Häsel, M.Sc. ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am selben Lehrstuhl.