Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of interactivity and vividness on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment and their consequent impacts on consumer behavioral responses in a retail furniture VR store context. Considering the lack of VR empirical research, the indirect effect of interactivity and vividness on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment through telepresence and the moderating effect of consumer previous experience with VR are also included.Design/methodology/approach: A commercial IKEA VR store was chosen for the study. Head-mounted display (HMD) VR headsets were employed for the VR shopping experience. The study was conducted at a laboratory at a large university in the southeastern United States. A total of 146 college students participated in the study.Findings: Vividness had significant positive effects on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment, which in turn influenced attitude towards VR and behavioral intentions. Interactivity did not have positive impacts on perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. However, it indirectly affected perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment through telepresence. The findings also proved the moderating effect of consumer previous VR experience between interactivity and perceived usefulness and between interactivity and perceived enjoyment. The relationship between attitude and behavioral intentions was also positive.Originality/value: Notwithstanding the benefits of VR in relation to its utilitarian, hedonic, and behavioral values, little is known about consumers' responses towards the usage of VR as a shopping tool. The present study can be considered as a starting point in understanding the usefulness of VR from consumer and managerial perspectives. The findings of VR indicated in the study will help practitioners understand the urgency of adopting VR in a retail setting.

Augmented reality (AR) enables consumers to browse and try products virtually by providing additional information and functionality to mobile shopping. Retailers continue to develop AR technology to engage consumers and enhance their digital shopping experiences. However, despite the growing interest in this technology, consumers rarely rely on AR due to the quality of its content. This study applies an information systems success model to examine the antecedents that influence the adoption of mobile technology, specifically focusing on consumers’ perception of AR quality and its effect on perceived diagnosticity and consumer satisfaction when using AR technology. Moreover, the study examines how perceived diagnosticity and satisfaction influence loyalty. The study participants were 283 shoppers in Korea who have previously experienced mobile shopping, with data collected through an online survey. The results show that when using AR, (1) the consumer’s perceptions of information quality and visual quality positively influence perceived diagnosticity and satisfaction, (2) perceived diagnosticity positively influences satisfaction and (3) satisfaction positively influences loyalty. These results have practical implications for mobile retailers seeking to develop effective product presentation strategies using innovative technologies.

The objective of this study was to explore impacts and benefits of mass customized products on emotional product attachment, favorable attitudes toward a mass customization program, and the ongoing effect on loyalty intentions. This study further investigated how benefits, attachment, attitudes, and loyalty intentions differed as a function of involvement and fashion innovativeness. 290 female online shoppers in South Korea participated in an online survey. Results of this study revealed that perceived benefits positively influenced emotional product attachment and attitudes toward a mass customization program. In addition, attachment positively influenced attitudes, which in turn affected loyalty intentions. This study also found that benefits, attachment, attitudes, and loyalty intentions were all higher in highly involved consumers (high fashion innovators) than those in less involved consumers (low fashion innovators). This study concludes with theoretical and practical implications for mass customization programs.

Following the increasing popularity of mass customization in the online retailing environment, we investigated the effects of self-congruity and functional congruity on consumer responses. Female online shoppers (N = 303) in South Korea participated in an online survey. The results showed that the match between ideal self-concept and the customized product was a strong determinant of emotional product attachment. Functional congruity influenced emotional product attachment and perceived quality, which, in turn, influenced behavioral intentions. We also observed a moderating role of self-monitoring, such that, for high self-monitors ideal congruity influenced emotional product attachment, whereas for low self-monitors functional congruity influenced emotional product attachment and perceived quality. Thus, we provided both empirical support for the effects of ideal congruity and functional congruity on consumer responses in an online mass customization context, and a new perspective for those seeking to enhance the effectiveness of mass customization.