How multichannel business strategy can improve sustainability value. A case study in the banking context.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine which multichannel practices companies adopt and in which practices the multichannel strategy of the company is used to create sustainable value. Design/methodology - The study adopts a discovered research approach and privilege, to improve the understanding of the researched phenomenon, the analysis of a case study referred to an Italian company that operates in the banking sector. Findings – The analysis results were classified according to the subdivision into the main dimensions of TBL corporate sustainability: planet, people and profit. For each of the different dimensions was reported: 1) what are the multichannel value creation practices and 2) what are the multi-channel tools or multi-channel strategies adopted to achieve sustainable results. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature by deepening the understanding of sustainability dimensions that are pursued through a multichannel strategy within a firm like Unicredit. Moreover, the work investigates the relationship between sustainable value creation practices and the integrated multichannel strategy. Research limitations/implications – A single case study obviously limits the generalizing of the findings.