Consumer behavior with augmented reality in retail: a review and research agenda

Abstract

Driven by the rapid technological development and adoption of augmented reality (AR) in retail, academic research has grown rapidly. Our purpose is to understand the reasons why consumers use augmented reality in retail and what outcomes retailers can expect. This study presents a systematic literature review and summarizes the current empirical knowledge on consumer behavior with AR in retail. This topic remains scattered between various literature streams showing that the potential of AR to create value for consumers lays in its ability to generate utilitarian and hedonic value, to improve decision-making, and to enhance personalization of the virtual self. Then, this study warns about negative effects of AR usage. The contribution is a systematic literature review and a conceptual framework covering the most important consumer behaviors with AR and their brand-related, transactional, and technology-related outcomes. In addition, this paper adopts a holistic view to propose future research directions and emphasize the need for more research on social augmented reality.