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1. Introduction
The aim of this article is to propose insights on the issue of internationalization through e-commerce. Using the internet as a strategy to penetrate international markets has emerged as an effective option for companies over the last decade (Yamin and Sinkovics, 2006; Guercini and Runfola, 2015). However, this aspect seems to have received little attention to date from the academic literature on internationalization, revealing a need for in-depth investigation of this highly timely and relevant topic. Indeed, use of the Internet for internationalization purposes shows some specificities that merit specific attention. This article takes understanding of internationalization via the Internet one step further by analyzing it in relation to the need for integration between online and offline channels. In fact, recent literature stresses the adoption of omnichannel approaches as a significant new strategy that companies are adopting (Verhoef et al., 2015). This move has been considered independently from the overall process of business internationalization as described in recent literature. However, due to the huge investment that some companies have made in their offline channels in international markets, there is clearly the need to integrate their online channels, both to guarantee a holistic experience for consumers and to avoid cannibalizing previous investments. This article specifically addresses the integration between online and offline channels in the internationalization process of top luxury fashion brands. In fact, the luxury market can be considered somewhat emblematic regarding issues of internationalization and the drive towards integration of physical and online channels (Juaneda-Ayensa et al., 2016) The luxury companies analysed in this research are large, internationalized, and managerially complex. Luxury brands have made significant investments in the physical channels in recent decades, opening retail outlets in all major international markets. With this offline scenario a reality, this article discusses the online internationalization process of luxury brands.
Our research aims at combining two recent theoretical perspectives with a view to answering the following research questions: (1) What e-commerce presence do top fashion luxury brands have in some leading international markets? (2) How do top luxury fashion brands implement the integration between online and offline channels in the online internationalization process? (3) Are there differences between international markets and luxury brands in e-commerce development abroad?
To answer to these questions...