Purpose: This study defines a three-angled research plan to intensify the knowledge and development undergoing in the retail sector. It proposes a theoretical framework of the customer journey to explain the customers' intent to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) as a protective measure for interaction between the customer and the brand.Design/methodology/approach: This study presents a research agenda from three-dimensional online search, ML and AI algorithms. This paper enhances the readers' understanding by reviewing the literature present in utilizing AI in the customer journey and presenting a theoretical framework.Findings: Using AI tools like Chatbots, Recommenders, Virtual Assistance and Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) helps create improved brand awareness, better customer relationships marketing and personalized product modification.Originality/value: This study intends to identify a research plan based on investigating customer journey trends in today's changing times with AI incorporation. The research provides a novel model framework of the customer journey by directing customers into different stages and providing different touchpoints in each stage, all supported with AI and ML.

Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the emergence of new technologies offering unique business opportunities. This article examines the factors influencing AI-based chatbot implementation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). We grounded the article's conceptual model in the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework. Employing a quantitative research methodology, we collected data from 292 SME respondents via an online survey. We then utilized covariance-based structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The empirical results reveal that perceived employee capability, perceived availability of financial support, perceived top management support, perceived cost, perceived complexity, and perceived relative advantage are positively associated with SMEs' AI-based chatbot adoption intention. This article, thus, contributes to the scarce literature on the adoption of AI-based chatbots for SMEs in developing small island countries. The findings provide meaningful insights to developers, marketers, and SMEs to enhance firms’ performance and competitiveness by increasing the adoption of AI-based chatbots.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of fast-food restaurant service quality (compound effect of food quality, physical environment quality and employee service quality) and its dimensions (when acting independently) on customer perceived value, satisfaction and behavioural intentions.Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from 400 fast-food restaurant customers in Fiji using a public-intercept survey. The study used descriptive and inferential analysis. This research also used backward elimination multiple regressions to test the hypotheses of this study.Findings: The compound effect of fast-food restaurant service quality dimensions on customer perceived value revealed food quality and physical environment quality are significant determinants of customer perceived value, however employee service quality is not. In contrast, the effect of the fast-food service quality dimensions acting independently on customer perceived value revealed the three dimensions are significant determinants of customer perceived value. Results also confirmed that customer perceived value is a significant determinant of customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction is a significant determinant of behavioural intentions.Research limitations/implications: This study highlights to fast-food restaurateurs and marketers the importance of determining the compound effect of fast-food restaurant service quality dimensions, delivering the right combination of fast-food restaurant service quality dimensions to customers and not singling out dimensions in an attempt to enhance restaurant service quality.Originality/value: This study makes important contributions towards understanding the compound effect of fast-food restaurant service quality dimensions and the independent effect of these dimensions on the formation of customer perceived value, customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, contact tracing is becoming a used intervention to control the spread of this highly infectious disease. This article explores an individual's intention to adopt COVID-19 digital contact tracing (DCT) apps. A conceptual framework developed for this article combines the procedural fairness theory, dual calculus theory, protection motivation theory, theory of planned behavior, and Hofstede's cultural dimension theory. The study adopts a quantitative approach collecting data from 714 respondents using a random sampling technique. The proposed model is tested using structural equation modeling. Empirical results found that the perceived effectiveness of privacy policy negatively influenced privacy concerns, whereas perceived vulnerability had a positive influence. Expected personal and community-related outcomes of sharing information positively influenced attitudes toward DCT apps, while privacy concerns had a negative effect. The intention to adopt DCT apps were positively influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and privacy self-efficacy. This article is the first to empirically test the adoption of DCT apps of the COVID-19 pandemic and contributes both theoretically and practically toward understanding factors influencing its widespread adoption.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the impact of customer perceived value and its dimensions on customer satisfaction in a developing country, and practical suggestions for marketing strategies.Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey collected data from five-hundred supermarket customers in Fiji. SPSS was used to provide descriptive and inferential analysis.Findings: Results reveal that customer perceived value (CPV) has a positive impact on customer satisfaction; and functional value (price/value for money) has more positive impact than social value, emotional value has a negative impact and functional value (performance/quality) has no significant impact on customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implications: Considering this research was undertaken in the supermarket sector of only one country, other researchers are urged to replicate this research in Fiji and other developing countries, to yield further insight into the context-specific nature of CPV.Practical implications: It is suggested that marketers note these findings (to understand better the conceptualisation and context-dependent nature of CPV, its dimensional interrelationships and its impact on customer satisfaction) in order to enhance CPV and ultimately customer satisfaction.Originality/value: This study makes several contributions to research on CPV by providing insight into how developing country customers perceive the value of supermarkets from a construct and multidimensional perspective, the inter-relatedness of CPV dimensions and the impact of CPV and its dimensions on customer satisfaction.