Purpose: Consumers are increasingly embracing innovative technologies for enhanced experiences. This study delves into the banking consumer brand experience through the lens of augmented reality (AR). The focus is on mobile augmented reality applications within financial institutions, which contribute to a more enjoyable and immersive customer experience. Specifically, the research highlights the utilisation of mobile augmented reality applications by a Pakistani bank and examines its influence on consumer loyalty and sustained engagement, with a particular emphasis on the AR brand experience. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a comparative study between married and unmarried consumers with sample sizes of 178 and 172, respectively. The results were analysed through structural equation modelling using SmartPLS. Findings: The study's outcomes show that AR brand experience for the unmarried sample category is positive and higher than a married one. This is an excellent opportunity for the banking sector in Pakistan to invest more in innovative technologies. Originality/value: The current study investigates the brand experience in the banking sector from the perspective of AR technology which contributes to the AR literature.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate how gamification, namely, WeChat’s cultural gifting function, improves emotional involvement among three generations (Y, X and silver) in mobile payments. It draws attention to the beneficial effects of cultural components and digital intimacy on gamified mobile payment systems. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from Y, X and silver generation in Dalian, China. The users were well equipped with the WeChat pay features and had experience. The PLS-SEM software was used to assess the data. Findings: The findings show that consumer word of mouth and loyalty are positively impacted by perceived utility, fun, and enjoyment. Besides, gamification components like fun and playfulness have a favourable effect on how useful mobile payments are judged to be. It demonstrates how delighted and ecstatic users are with WeChat Hongbao. In addition, the positive moderation effect of intimacy on the hypothesised connections shows that all three generations are likely to accept gamified money features. These results provide a substantial contribution to our comprehension of gamification in the context of mobile payment services for all three generations. Originality/value: The study is distinctive because it focuses on how China’s three generations use WeChat Pay for routine transactions. The framework confirms that the gamification elements improve user performance and encourage continued usage of mobile payment systems.

For Pakistani firms to remain competitive in the 21st century, they have to embrace and excel in practices that have brought considerable competitive advantages to firms in the developed world. Among these practices world class manufacturing (WCM), Lean management and just-in-time (JIT), just to name a few, have played a considerable role. A systematic approach needs to be devised to assess the level of adoption of these practices. In this piece of research we will limit our observations to Lean management practices. It is the objective of this research to gauge the level of adoption of Lean management practices in the manufacturing sector in Pakistan and more specifically to the textile industry.

Service industries are fast turning digital, and they are disrupting the manner in which firms organize and relate to their customers. Nevertheless, mechanisms that allow digital capabilities to be converted to better customer experience remain poorly understood, especially in the emerging economies. This paper presents the dual-mediation model to investigate the effects of Digital Supply Chain Integration (DSCI) and capabilities of digital customer engagement (DCEC) on Customer Experience Outcomes (CXO) based on Sustainable Business Model Innovation (SBMI) and Customer Value Co-Creation (CVC) with references to Dynamic Capabilities Theory and Service-Dominant Logic. The data were collected by a cross-sectional survey of 360 managers of the banking, telecom, healthcare, and hospitality organizations in Pakistan and analyzed with the help of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that the customer experience is enhanced well beyond what is feasible alone by means of Sustainable Business Model Innovation due to the Digital Supply Chain Integration, whereas customer experience is enhanced by the Digital Customer Engagement Capabilities through Customer Value Co-Creation. The results also show that the mechanisms of co-creation have the largest impact on the outcome of customer experience. The research is an addition to the body of literature on digital transformation because it illustrates how digital integration, innovation that is focused on sustainability, and relational co-creation can collectively convert digital capabilities into experiential value. The results also provide practical factors that should be considered by service companies when embarking on digital transformation programs to align the programs with sustainability and customer engagement mechanisms.