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1 – 10 of 52Virginie Lavoye, Jenni Sipilä, Joel Mero and Anssi Tarkiainen
Virtual try-on (VTO) technology offers an opportunity for fashion and beauty brands to provide enriched self-explorative experiences. The increased popularity of VTOs makes it…
Abstract
Purpose
Virtual try-on (VTO) technology offers an opportunity for fashion and beauty brands to provide enriched self-explorative experiences. The increased popularity of VTOs makes it urgent to understand the drivers and consequences of the exploration of styles in VTO contexts (herein called self-explorative engagement). Notably, little is known about the antecedent and outcomes of the personalized self-explorative experience central to VTOs. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap.
Design/methodology/approach
An online quasi-experiment (N = 500) was conducted in the context of fashion and beauty VTOs. Participants were asked to virtually try on sunglasses or lipsticks and subsequently answer a questionnaire measuring the key constructs: self-presence (i.e. physical similarity and identification), self-explorative engagement (i.e. exploration of styles in VTO context), brand cognitive processing and brand attitude. The authors analyze the data with structural equation modeling via maximum likelihood estimation in LISREL.
Findings
The experience of self-presence during consumers’ use of VTOs in augmented reality environments has a positive effect on self-explorative engagement. Furthermore, a mediation analysis reveals that self-explorative engagement improves brand attitude via brand cognitive processing. The results are confirmed for two popular fashion and beauty brands.
Originality/value
Grounded in extended self theory, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to show that a realistic VTO experience encourages self-extension via a process starting from the exploration of styles and results in increased brand cognitive processing and more positive brand attitudes. The exploration of styles is enabled by self-presence.
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Tim Hilken, Jonas Heller, Mathew Chylinski, Debbie Isobel Keeling, Dominik Mahr and Ko de Ruyter
This paper aims to explore the current and future roles of augmented reality (AR) as an enabler of omnichannel experiences across the customer journey. To advance the conceptual…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the current and future roles of augmented reality (AR) as an enabler of omnichannel experiences across the customer journey. To advance the conceptual understanding and managerial exploitation of AR, the paper aims to synthesise current research, illustrating how a variety of current applications merge online and offline experiences, and provides a future research agenda to help advance the state of the art in AR.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on situated cognition theorising as a guiding framework, the paper reviews previously published research and currently deployed applications to provide a roadmap for future research efforts on AR-enabled omnichannel experiences across the customer journey.
Findings
AR offers myriad opportunities to provide customers with a seamless omnichannel journey, smoothing current obstacles, through a unique combination of embedded, embodied and extended customer experiences. These three principles constitute the overarching value drivers of AR and offer coherent, theory-driven organising principles for managers and researchers alike.
Originality/value
Current research has yet to provide a relevant, conceptually robust understanding of AR-enabled customer experiences. In light of the rapid development and widespread deployment of the technology, this paper provides an urgently needed framework for guiding the development of AR in an omnichannel context.
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Angelo Bonfanti and Georgia Yfantidou
This study aims to detect the dimensions of the in-store customer shopping experience from the sports retailer perspective and to investigate how the role of sports equipment…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to detect the dimensions of the in-store customer shopping experience from the sports retailer perspective and to investigate how the role of sports equipment stores is changing.
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study performs semi-structured interviews with retail managers of sports equipment stores.
Findings
This research reveals the importance of the dimensions of immersive design, sensorial ambient elements, social relationships, trialability and real experience sharing in designing a memorable in-store shopping experience in sports stores, and it highlights that the store's role in the sports context is transitioning from sales space to an interactive, immersive, engaging and convivial place. It proposes a model to design the in-store customer shopping experience effectively.
Practical implications
Sports equipment managers can make their physical stores as experiential as possible by investing in expert, passionate personnel and technology in order to create a real in-store experience of the product and the sports practice.
Originality/value
While sports equipment retailers acknowledge the importance of providing customers with a memorable shopping experience by creating an evocative environment and placing multiple touchpoints in stores, management scholars have paid limited attention to sports stores. This study explores the ways in which sports retail managers can design their stores effectively in experiential terms.
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Wellington José da Silva, Giselle da Costa Araújo, Adriano Rehder and Marcelo Caldeira Pedroso
This teaching case aims to analyze the business model of Amaro, a company that directly sells lifestyle goods to end consumers (B2C), focused on the women's market. Amaro's…
Abstract
Purpose
This teaching case aims to analyze the business model of Amaro, a company that directly sells lifestyle goods to end consumers (B2C), focused on the women's market. Amaro's original business model is introduced and a challenging dilemma is proposed: could Amaro innovate its business model, moving from a digitally native vertical brand (DNVB)-type company to a platform, specifically a vertical marketplace focused on the female audience? Would Amaro be prepared for this evolution or would it be more appropriate to focus on or strengthen the DNVB model?
Design/methodology/approach
This teaching case was developed based on in-depth interviews with Amaro's leadership. The teaching notes were proposed based on business model innovation, competitive positioning and market trends concepts. The teaching case considers a new type of business model called DNVB. Students can review the concepts, create analyses and recommend which strategic options can leverage the company for a new growing cycle.
Findings
Using the case study in the classroom should promote the discussion and reflections on business model innovation and the future of retail in omnichannel contexts - Amaro offers products online (on an e-commerce platform and native mobile applications) and physically in locations called guide shops. The authors suggested the adoption of frameworks and tools (e.g. the competitive positioning map to allow students to visualize ways to compare strategies and make decisions).
Research limitations/implications
The case introduces a fictional dilemma related to the decision to maximize offline or online investments or completely change the company's business model by adding a new vertical marketplace approach.
Practical implications
This teaching case contributes to the student's learning about business model innovation and evolution. Case discussions could explore contemporary concepts such as value proposition, disintermediation and omnichannel commerce.
Originality/value
Offering goods directly to the consumers by using modern technological architecture through vertical integration within the supply chain makes the DNVB business model an original topic in the start-up segment.
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Tim Hilken, Mathew Chylinski, Ko de Ruyter, Jonas Heller and Debbie Isobel Keeling
The authors explore neuro-enhanced reality (NeR) as a novel approach for enhancing service communication between customers, frontline employees, and service organizations that…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors explore neuro-enhanced reality (NeR) as a novel approach for enhancing service communication between customers, frontline employees, and service organizations that extends beyond current state-of-the-art approaches based on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors first take stock of research on reality-enhanced service communication with AR and VR, then complement these insights with emerging neuroscientific research to conceptualize how NeR enables innovative forms of service communication. On this basis, the authors develop a research agenda to guide the future study and managerial exploitation of NeR.
Findings
AR and VR already offer unique affordances for digital-to-physical communication, but these can be extended with NeR. Specifically, NeR supports neuro-to-digital and digital-to-neuro communication based on neuroimaging (e.g. controlling digital content through thought) and neurostimulation (e.g. eliciting brain responses based on digital content). This provides a basis for outlining possible applications of NeR across service settings.
Originality/value
The authors advance knowledge on reality-enhanced service communication with AR and VR, whilst also demonstrating how neuroscientific research can be extended from understanding brain activity to generating novel service interactions.
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Federica Caboni and Lucia Pizzichini
Augmented reality (AR) technology currently plays a central role in the retail sector, rapidly changing consumers’ behaviours and retailers’ strategies. The purpose of this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Augmented reality (AR) technology currently plays a central role in the retail sector, rapidly changing consumers’ behaviours and retailers’ strategies. The purpose of this paper is to identify the behavioural changes that have occurred due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the retail sector, and how AR technology can be used as a valid and useful response to these new consumer habits.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory research was conducted to determine how AR has helped people shop differently than they did before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by evaluating two retail-sector AR applications (apps). In-depth interviews were conducted and assessed using thematic analysis.
Findings
This paper identifies a new paradigm involving COVID-19 and AR by identifying several factors that are related to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and have modified consumers’ shopping habits. Additionally, it shows how interactive technologies, such as AR, are useful tools that can be employed to overcome retailing crises driven by external environmental factors, such as COVID-19, and enhance shopping experiences.
Originality/value
This research reveals the role of AR technologies in transformed economic and social contexts. By investigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated consequences, i.e. isolation, quarantines and lockdowns; the fear of contracting the virus and the new needs of people to shop while social distancing, this study enriches AR research with a fourth characteristic, augmented social distance.
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