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Mobile e-commerce has brought convenience to consumers. But for goods such as shoes, mobile e-commerce has failed to provide the same experience as consumers would have in physical stores, and that also causes problems for online merchants, such as high return rates. As a result, the augmented reality (AR) virtual shoe-try-on function appeared. The way that AR virtual shoe-try-on study different from other AR virtual try-on studies is that AR virtual shoe-try-on study only satisfies consumers' visual experience and consumers cannot judge whether the shoes are comfort or not. Whether consumers would accept AR virtual try-on function to help them make purchase decision due to the visual experience provided by AR virtual try-on function is worth discussion. Measuring users' perceptions and preferences can help companies design AR shoe-trying functions and provide services more cost-effectively.

To promote the continuous use and better development of such mobile e-commerce based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study explored the influencing factors for users' intentions to continue using the AR virtual shoe-try-on function, including the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, system quality, perceived playfulness and attitude.

The results of this study showed that TAM is a powerful theoretical tool of the new technology in mobile e-commerce and that the system quality and perceived playfulness also have a positive impact on the original variables of TAM. System quality and perceived playfulness are important predictors of users' continuance intentions to use the AR virtual shoe-try-on function.

The main contribution of this study to model iteration and theoretical update is to verify the applicability of the TAM in the AR shoe-try-on function and to expand TAM model with system quality and perceived playfulness. The authors' results will help shoe enterprises win users' recognition through AR shoe-try-on function and improve users' continuance intention of use.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how augmented reality (AR) try-on experiences facilitate consumers’ shopping decision. Focusing on the immersion and psychological ownership, the study investigated how the properties of AR experiences (environmental embedding (EE) and simulated physical control (SPC)) affect decision comfort.

This research theoretically and empirically analyzes how each property of AR experiences affects consequential psychological states and then further increases decision comfort by employing an existing AR try-on mobile application. A total of 99 valid responses were used for the partial least square structural equation modeling analysis. One’s prior AR try-on experience was predicted as a moderator and analyzed using SPSS-based PROCESS macro.

The results demonstrated that EE and SPC evoke immersion and the feeling of ownership of a virtual product, which increased decision comfort. The moderating effect of one’s prior AR try-on experience showed that the impact of EE and SPC on immersion was attenuated for those with prior experience. Further, immersion mediated the effect of EE but SPC on the feeling of ownership, which corroborated the direct effect of SPC on the feeling of ownership.

Firms must consider technological and user-experience features that can induce users to perceive high levels of AR characteristics such as EE and SPC. Practitioners should develop realistic content that can correctly place virtual products on users to enhance EE. Including more interactive features is encouraged to provide users with a feeling of control toward the virtual product that directly leads to ownership and positively affects decision making. Further, practitioners need to be cautious about consumers getting used to the new technology; retailers and marketers need to focus on creating new and innovative content to continually engage customers.

This study adopted EE and SPC to determine how each property of AR experience forms the consequential psychological states, particularly depending on one’s prior experience. Methodologically, the study provided external validity in conducting an experiment by adopting an existing AR mobile application available in the market and employing an objective measure of respondents (e.g. prior AR try-on experience).

Virtual garment fit will be an important determinant for the online purchase decision of consumers in the near future. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model to explore the factors that might impact consumers’ virtual garment fit satisfactions (VFS).

Virtual body satisfaction (VBS), acceptance of the virtual try-on technology and virtual fabric properties were examined as factors that would potentially impact consumers’ VFS. Forty-five women, from 18 to 35 years old, were recruited for the study. Participants were scanned by using a 3D body scanner and their scans were used for virtual try-on. Seven circular skirts with different fabric properties were created by using a commercial 3D simulation software. Participants evaluated the fit of these virtual skirts on their own virtual bodies. Participants’ VFSs and their correlations with VBSs, acceptance of virtual try-on technology and virtual fabric properties were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation test.

Participants’ VBSs at hips were correlated fairly good with their VFSs (r = 0.50, N = 180, p < 0.01) and their acceptance of virtual try-on technology was weakly correlated to VFSs (r = 0.24, N = 180, p < 0.01). However, no significant correlation was found between virtual fabric properties and participants’ VFSs.

This study did not examine the ideal beauty notion, which may affect consumers’ expectations about how the garments should fit on them. Another limitation was the use of a single skirt design as a stimulus.

Studies that explore virtual garment fit often measure the garment ease or the virtual fabric tension and ignore consumer perspective, which is essential for online purchase decision. This study is unique as it prioritizes consumers’ perspectives.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate basic block pattern modification according to fabric used and the mismatch between 2D and 3D measure lines at bust, waist and hip girths when ease allowance is changed uniformly.

For the investigation, virtual try-on software Modaris 3D Fit (CAD Lectra) was used. The straight shape dress fitting was done using seven cotton and cotton blended plain weave fabrics. After virtual try-on, the mismatch d (d_bust, d_waist, d_hip) between 2D and 3D measure lines was measured in order to determine base pattern adjustments using different fabrics.

It was found that the position and length of 3D measure lines at bust, waist and hip girths does not match the position and length of corresponding lines in 2D base patterns after virtual try-on due to fabrics deformation, which is related to mechanical properties. It was proved that derived linear equations presenting a relation between mismatch and ease allowance values could be used for basic block pattern modification that 3D and 2D measure lines would coincide during clothing try-on.

This research is limited to cotton/cotton blended woven fabrics and straight dress; therefore, other fabric types and other clothing could be investigated in the future to expand data basis.

The main practical point of the proposed method is that in order to obtain particular 3D ease value in a garment, it can be calculated from 2D ease allowance value and the fabric’s tensile properties using linear equations. The basic block patterns could be modified using this method not only for tested fabrics but also for other fabrics with similar composition, structural and mechanical properties. 3D ease values in garment can be easily checked by using virtual try-on technology without production of real prototypes. The method is applicable for making ready-to-wear or individually tailored clothing.

The proposed method in this paper presented opportunity to modify the basic block patterns of the dress according to the fabric’s tensile properties and 2D ease allowance. The basic block patterns could be modified according to presented linear functions for each tested fabric. The application of this method can fully ensure the interaction between the garment 2D patterns to 3D garment so that a desired 3D garment fitting effect to the body can easily be satisfied by the adjustment of particular fabric characteristics. It offers further possibilities, especially with developing virtual try-on technologies.

The purpose of this study is to draws on self-determination and self-evaluation theories to examine the psychological factors impacted by augmented reality (AR) services, an augmented reality try-on system. This study highlights three characteristics of modality, synchronous sense or ownership and re-processability within an AR try-on experiences as well as the moderating effects of consumers’ body surveillance and fashion consciousness.

Using a scenario survey approach, this study designs characteristics of an AR try-on system to examine the research model and the hypotheses. A total of 207 responses are collected and analysed using the SmartPLS 3 statistical software.

The results show that modality, synchronous sense of ownership control and re-processability of AR try-on system positively affect consumer’s rapport experience. Both body surveillance and fashion consciousness significantly moderate the effects of AR try-on service system characteristics on consumer rapport experience.

This study highlights the importance of understanding the implications of the evolution of cyborg consumerism where consumer technology interface systems such as AR, as a source of technologically mediated modality, become part of the consumer’s body, an extension of their body if you will.

Based on the study findings, marketing managers can understand how to better use AR to implement digital promotional strategies for various body-involvement products.

Using immersive technologies, this study shows that AR allows a consumer see an authentic self and tangible extension of their physical self in an online shopping setting, thus enhancing a consumer’s online shopping experience.

The paper aims to transfer the item image of a given clothing product to a corresponding area of the user image. Existing classical methods suffer from unconstrained deformation of clothing and occlusion caused by hair or poses, which leads to loss of details in the try-on results. In this paper, the authors present a details-oriented virtual try-on network (DO-VTON), which allows synthesizing high-fidelity try-on images with preserved characteristics of target clothing.

The proposed try-on network consists of three modules. The fashion parsing module (FPM) is designed to generate the parsing map of a reference person image. The geometric matching module (GMM) warps the input clothing and matches it with the torso area of the reference person guided by the parsing map. The try-on module (TOM) generates the final try-on image. In both FPM and TOM, attention mechanism is introduced to obtain sufficient features, which enhances the performance of characteristics preservation. In GMM, a two-stage coarse-to-fine training strategy with a grid regularization loss (GR loss) is employed to optimize the clothing warping.

In this paper, the authors propose a three-stage image-based virtual try-on network, DO-VTON, that aims to generate realistic try-on images with extensive characteristics preserved.

The authors’ proposed algorithm can provide a promising tool for image based virtual try-on.

The authors’ proposed method is a technology for consumers to purchase favored clothes online and to reduce the return rate in e-commerce.

Therefore, the authors’ proposed algorithm can provide a promising tool for image based virtual try-on.

Augmented Reality (AR) integrates computer-generated images to a physical environment in real-time. Online apparel shopping presents some product-related risks, as consumers can neither physically see and touch the products nor try them on. The present study examined whether AR conveys reliable apparel product information in terms of fit, size, and product performance; and how AR affects attitudes toward apparel and purchase intentions when shopping online.

This research was designed as a within-subject quasi-experimental study using repeated measures in two conditions: virtual try-on using the AR technology vs. physical try-on. A scenario was developed to help participants imagine themselves shopping online for a specific dress.

Results indicated that size and color of dresses were conveyed accurately when utilizing AR as compared to physical try-on. Visual attributes such as style, garment details, and coordination with other items were found to be satisfactorily predicted when AR was employed. Overall, attitudes towards both AR and real dress, and purchase intentions were favorable. Participants with higher telepresence levels were found to have more positive attitudes towards the dress and greater purchase intentions when using AR as compared to the participants with low telepresence levels.

Our findings implied that AR can provide enough information especially for garment sizes and visual characteristics when making purchase decisions. AR technology can be instrumental in introducing a certain style, building positive attitudes towards products, and driving sales, when the consumers perceive a certain level of “being there”. This study was limited to female students in North America. Also, because a single stimulus was used, the results cannot be generalized to other stimuli.

Our study findings showed that participants were able to select the right garment size by using AR. The average ratings for visual characteristics such as style and detail were above the neutral level when using AR; indicating that participants can understand visual attributes in AR when shopping online. Moreover, in the AR condition participants with higher telepresence levels had higher attitudes towards the garment and purchase intentions as compared to the participants with low telepresence. AR can be instrumental for online apparel shopping. Retailers need to understand the potentials of these technologies and work with technology developers to enhance consumers' experiences.

The study focuses on (1) the success of three strategies employed during the pandemic – two “persevering” strategies, curbside pickup and return window extension and one innovative strategy, virtual try-on technology and (2) whether the strategies are likely to be successful in the post-pandemic world.

The authors utilize a panel dataset containing 17 department store chains in the US The panel includes weekly sales by the retailers at the city level from 2018 to 2021, encompassing both a pre-COVID-19 period and a period during the pandemic. A two-way fixed effects model, including retailer-city fixed effects and year-week fixed effects, is used to estimate department store sales.

The authors find that the two persevering strategies offset the negative impact of government-imposed containment and health measures on sales performance. On the other hand, the innovative strategy is more effective with a low level of containment and health measures, leading to our observation that virtual try-on may be more sustainable than the other two strategies in a post-pandemic environment.

This paper makes the following contributions: First, the authors contribute to the literature on strategies that may be used to respond to crises. Second, the authors contribute to the retail management literature, assessing the impact of the three retail strategies on department store sales. Finally, the authors compare the impact on sales of the two persevering strategies to the innovative strategy and conclude that a mix of these types of strategies may be most effective at generating short-term sales during a crisis and longer-term sales post crisis.

To gain a deeper understanding of the determinants impacting the intention of Chinese young consumers to utilize virtual try-on apps (VTOs), this study adopts a modified version of the electronic technology acceptance model (e-TAM). The primary objective is to investigate how consumers' characteristics influence their post-use feelings, subsequently affecting their attitude towards VTOs and their intention to use them. Additionally, this research aims to explore potential gender differences within this process.

In this study, a sample of 243 college students from a university in China was recruited to participate in on-site software use. A total of 227 valid questionnaires were collected and used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to empirically evaluate the data and test the research hypotheses. Additionally, multiple group comparisons were conducted based on gender to examine potential differences in the acceptance process.

The findings of this study reveal a significant association between users' individual characteristics and post-use feelings. Moreover, there are notable differences between male and female students in terms of their perceptions of innovativeness, knowledge and understanding regarding post-use feelings. Notably, four variables within post-use feelings, except for perceived compatibility, are found to be predictive of attitude towards VTOs. Additionally, it is observed that attitude towards VTOs directly influences users' intention to utilize them.

This study contributes to the research on consumers' intention to use VTOs by examining the antecedents of post-use feelings, specifically four consumers’ individual characteristics. The findings of this study offer managerial insights for professionals to formulate marketing positioning and communication strategies.

Virtual try-on apps (VTOs) allow consumers to examine fashion and furniture items in usage context without going to a physical store. But the adoption of such apps has varied across product categories, and research on user acceptance of AR marketing has been fragmented. The current study aims to develop and test a general model that explains the formation of decision comfort (DC) in the majority of AR try-on experiences for mobile shopping.

After reviewing 30 VTOs available on the iOS app store, the authors chose the Wanna Kicks sneaker shopping VTO as the most representative to test their hypotheses for AR try-on in general. Overall, 178 online consumers performed a sneaker shopping task on their mobile devices, and their responses were analyzed with the partial least squares method.

The study confirmed the key role of perceived augmentation in leading to DC via a utilitarian and a hedonic path. These effects were attenuated for younger users, and haptic imagery only had a utilitarian impact. Scholars should pay more attention to the variable of age, while managers should act quickly to enhance the basic AR affordances of mobile try-on apps.

This is the first study of a VTO in the footwear category and with a model that tests age as a moderating variable between antecedents and consumer responses.