Augmented reality's perceived immersion effect on the customer shopping process: decision-making quality and privacy concerns
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management
ISSN: 0959-0552
Article publication date: 21 July 2022
Issue publication date: 11 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the role of an augmented reality (AR)-based tool in customers' shopping processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) and consumer decision-making models, this study builds a comprehensive theoretical model that investigates the mechanism sequentially connected AR-enabled shopping tool and customer responses. Décor Matters was chosen as the AR-enabled mobile application for this study. Qualtrics, which conducted the survey, collected 150 responses in the USA. The authors used structural equation model to test the hypotheses.
Findings
This study enriches the retail-related AR theory by offering a holistic and structural view of the factors that connect customers' cognitive and affective internal processes with customers' shopping task. However, having used only one type of AR-enabled app in the study, the findings remain limited.
Research limitations/implications
This research advances the understanding of AR's role in the customer shopping process by validating the positive effect of immersion on purchase intention, as well as revealing the mediating effect of decision-making quality and the moderating effect of privacy concerns. However, as only one type of AR-enabled app was used in the study, the findings are still limited.
Practical implications
The findings can help retailers to understand why and how firms can benefit from investing in AR-enabled apps (i.e. by focussing on customer perceived immersion and decision-making quality with AR).
Originality/value
This study's originality lies in the SOR model's extension, which integrates the customer decision-making model, allowing for connecting customers' cognitive and affective internal experiences with their shopping task. The findings can help retail managers to understand more clearly and in-depth why and how AR works in customers' shopping process.
Keywords
Citation
Sengupta, A. and Cao, L. (2022), "Augmented reality's perceived immersion effect on the customer shopping process: decision-making quality and privacy concerns", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 50 No. 8/9, pp. 1039-1061. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-10-2021-0522
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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