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The omni-channel strategy provides a holistic experience during shopping by integrating online and offline channel services. In this digitalized realm, customers are more dependent on online elements for shopping. However, physical stores are still their first choice for apparel shopping. The introduction of interactive technology is one of the key elements to provide an online experience in the physical store. The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of interactive technologies on purchase intention and its role.

This study has been conducted in Delhi using 573 customers who are using interactive technologies for shopping. A self-developed questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling through smart partial least square 3.

The results show that 46% change in purchase intention was due to mobile point of sale/digital wallet, tablet/i-pad/digital signage, smartphone and click and collect/ship from store technology. However, there was no impact of the smart mirror and in-store Wi-Fi technology on purchase intention.

This study focuses on various technologies which provide online experience at physical stores. This study offers new insights for the theoretical and business framework of omni-channel brands. These technologies could be used as key performance indicators of omni-channel retailing in future.

There exists insufficient literature on classification and taxonomy of tea leaves supply chain (TLSC), so the purpose of this paper is to study the existing TLSCs and classify them accordingly. Apart from this, the paper also focuses on identification of key decisions issues in the supply chains (SC) and developing a TLSC decision framework for the state of Assam in India.

The paper is based on a two-year detailed study on TLSC in Assam which encompasses 22 Tea Estates, 41 Small Tea Gardens (STGs) and a Research Institute (Tocklai Tea Research Institute). Secondary data were collected from relevant websites of various government organizations of India, company’s websites, annual reports, official statements from the companies, tea market reports, annual reports of the Indian Tea Association, the Tea Board of India, Tea Research Institute and published reports, etc.

The “point of origin” of TLSC is a tea garden, “point of consumption” is considered as a tea factory and green tea leaves (GTLs) forms the basic raw material. This SC includes mainly three players: Tea leaves growers, manufacturers of made tea and tea leaves agents. This study identifies the three types of TLSCs existing in Assam: TLSC1, TLSC2 and TLSC3. Among them, only TLSC1 is both responsive as well as an efficient chain, while the rest are only responsive chains. Later two SCs can be made efficient with the proposed TLSC4.

There is an insufficient literature on classification and taxonomy of TLSC, therefore the study (considerably the classification and taxonomy of TLSC) was developed from the primary data which were collected from the 22 Tea Estates and 41 STGs of four districts of Assam, because of limited time (two years). The study should have involved more tea estates and small tea gardens for better classification and taxonomy.

The proposed model suggests that small tea growers may create a co-operative whereby smaller tea gardens (STGs) (members of the co-operative) unite to act as a single large garden, set up their own co-operative factory and recruit permanent tea plucking laborers. This up-gradation of TLSC2 and TLSC3 to TLSC4 may enable a group of STGs to work in a manner similar to a Tea Estate.

To the best of authors’ knowledge this is one of the first studies to classify the TLSC in Assam.