Introduction
A superior customer experience is key to retailer's success (Grewal et al., 2009, 2017; Verhoef et al., 2009). Academic research (Klaus, 2020) as well as industry reports (KPMG, 2020) have acknowledged customer experience management as a barometer of competitive advantage. It has emerged as a pivotal practice considered to be a superior predictor of consumer behavior (Imhof & Klaus, 2020); acknowledged as a worthy alternative to service quality (Klaus & Maklan, 2013); recognized as a successor to customer relationship management (Palmer, 2010); hailed as a company's first concern (Meyer & Schwager, 2007); and, flagged as "the next competitive battleground"...