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.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether any differences exist between high- and low/middle-income Generation Y luxury consumers in terms of their service quality perceptions on luxury fashion brands’ own official e-commerce sites. Design/methodology/approach: This study focused on actual luxury consumers who purchased luxury fashion items from luxury fashion brands’ e-commerce sites. An online survey asked participants to evaluate their perceptions of e-service attributes available on luxury fashion brands’ own official e-commerce sites based on their experience with the site. A total of 123 usable respondents obtained. Findings: Of the nine e-service quality dimensions identified, efficiency and web appearance were significant dimensions affecting high-income Generation Y luxury fashion consumers’ overall e-satisfaction. For low/middle-income Generation Y luxury fashion consumers, order/delivery management, personalization and trust were crucial factors that affected overall e-satisfaction. Originality/value: Despite the growth of luxury e-commerce sales and the increasing interest in luxury consumption by consumers from a variety of demographic groups, little research has focused on how luxury consumers perceive luxury brands’ own official e-commerce site and how luxury fashion brands develop their own e-commerce sites to meet demographically dissimilar customers’ necessities. The findings of the study provide valuable practical implications to luxury fashion brands by proving that luxury consumers are unalike and that their perceptions on e-service quality are dissimilar based on different income levels.

Designed as a two-part study, the current study systematically evaluates the e-service quality performance of luxury fashion websites (Study 1) and investigates actual shoppers’ perceptions and evaluations of the e-service quality of luxury fashion websites and their influence on e-satisfaction and e-loyalty (Study 2). This study further examines the moderating role of luxury online shoppers’ income levels in the relationship among perceptions and evaluations of e-service quality, e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty. The results of the study confirm a preliminary stage of e-commerce development for luxury fashion websites, revealing a large gap between online and offline experiences. The comprehensive e-service attributes identified and empirically tested in the study will be useful to both academic researchers and industry practitioners not only for assessing current e-service quality, but also identifying specific areas for improvement.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of visual and verbal information presentations on mental imagery, perceived informativeness and purchase intention. The study assesses two types of product-related information: (1) visual information: static product images and augmented reality (AR) and (2) verbal information: abstract and concrete product reviews.Design/methodology/approach: A total of 320 mobile consumers participated in the experiment. To increase external validity, this study was conducted in an existing digital shopping environment.Findings: The results suggest that AR has a greater effect on consumers' shopping outcomes than static images. The findings further reveal that concrete product reviews are important in increasing mental imagery, perceived informativeness and purchase intention when visual information does not provide an AR function.Originality/value: This study contributes to the current literature by providing empirical support for AR effects and concrete reviews on consumer responses. The results further provide an important perspective for retailers seeking ways to develop effective information presentations in digital retailing.

This study examined gender difference in relation to actual luxury consumers’ perceptions of luxury fashion retail website quality associated with customer satisfaction. The total number of respondents was 287 (male = 104; female = 183). A multi-group comparison was conducted to examine how men and women differ in their perceptions of website quality. The results of the study show that similarities and differences exist between male and female luxury consumers’ perceptions of e-luxury service quality. For male luxury consumers, order and delivery management was the only dimension that impacted e-satisfaction. In relation to female consumers, order and delivery management, customer service, personalization, trust, and entertainment value were critical dimensions that influenced e-satisfaction. In accordance with the selectivity hypothesis, the findings of this study imply that male luxury consumers seem to be goal-oriented and pay attention solely to the information that directly assists their purchase. However, female luxury consumers are likely to engage in comprehensive information processing by evaluating a wide-range of service attributes when purchasing luxury fashion goods online. This study provides practical implications to luxury retailers by identifying key dimensions of e-service quality in the context of luxury retailing websites and by examining how men and women luxury consumers perceive the service dimensions differently.

In the context of an online apparel setting, this study examined the effects of amount of information and music on consumers’ affective states (i.e. pleasure and arousal) and cognitive states (i.e. perceived risk and attitude toward the site), which in turn may affect consumer shopping response (purchase intent). The moderating role of situational involvement with online shopping on the relationship between music/amount of information and affective/cognitive stateswas further examined. Results revealed significant effects for amount of information and music in relation to consumer situational involvement with online shopping. In addition, results revealed a significant effect for pleasure on perceived risk and attitude toward the site which in turn affected purchase intent. The findings of this study provide valuable managerial insights to online retailers by indicating the importance of the amount of information available on an apparel website. Additionally, this study is a springboard in determining the significant effect of music on affect and shopping responses on online shopping websites.