Augmenting reality: fusing consumers' experiences and interactions with immersive technologies in physical retail settings

Abstract

Drawing upon previous research into immersive environments and technologyenhanced stores, this exploratory study elucidates the concept of the 'augmented store'-a physical store modified to accommodate augmented reality (AR) technology. In doing so, it extends previous research conducted in experimental laboratory settings to an empirical real-world scenario. Qualitative data gathered from interviews with, and observation of, consumers using AR technology in-store are analysed to provide naturalistic understandings of interactions with, and perceptions of, a physical store enhanced with AR technology. Findings suggest that consumers appreciate the ability to experience an enhanced, more immersive store environment arising from the AR experience. They perceive interaction with the augmented store to be 'realistic' and articulated hedonic motivations as drivers for interaction in this shopping environment. The augmented store appears to stimulate brand engagement, increasing consumers' desire to shop at the retailer, providing managerial opportunities to reinforce brand positioning.

WOW, the make-up AR app is impressive: a comparative study between China and South Korea

“…ARC and AR environment embedding signify AR technology's importance regarding consumers' willingness to use them in online and offline retail formats. The results align with previous studies in which consumers felt that using AR services is factual and excellent (Bonetti et al, 2019;Scholz and Smith, 2016). Hence, it contributes to the literature on AR and will help in the development of AR theory.…”

“…Online beauty brands that use AR services focus on providing high-quality environmental embedding to provide a pleasurable experience (Hilken et al, 2017). Immersive and interactive technologies, such as AR, require environmental embedding (Bonetti et al, 2019;Scholz and Smith, 2016). AR environmental embedding (AREE) not only improves consumers' immersive experience but also it is critical to understand consumers' immersive experiences with innovative services (Sakhdari, 2016;Wang et al, 2020).…”

The Use of AR Technology to Overcome Online Shopping Phobia: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Another study conducted by Bonetti et al,[27] examines the use of AR and VR in the fashion industry along with the software developers. Such retailers are more inclined toward the use of these immersive engineers [28]. They prioritize the AR technology by arguing that AR integrates real-time and computer-generated data into physical world making them appear as a single environment [29].…”

The Post-COVID-19 Shopping Experience: Thoughts on the Role of Emerging Retail Technologies

“…Customers seek for information through conversational platforms, digital catalogues powered by augmented reality, and social media. Retailers digitize their stores and incorporate advancements like in-shop navigation, geo-fencing, facial recognition, smart dressing rooms, mobile payments, and automated check-out solutions [12][13][14][15]. Data mining techniques, together with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, enable retailers to gather and utilize and enormous amount of information, and blockchain-based processes increase retailers' productivity and transparency.…”