Immersive interactive technologies and virtual shopping experiences: Differences in consumer perceptions between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

Based on the concepts of the Reality-Virtuality (RV) continuum and the stimulus-organism-response (S[sbnd]O[sbnd]R) framework, this study investigated differences between AR and VR in their effects on vividness/interactivity, a sense of presence, users’ sensory brand app experience, attitude, and behavioral intention. For AR, participants downloaded an app to mobile phones. For VR, participants downloaded a VR app to smartphones attached to a Google Cardboard VR headset. Vividness and interactivity directly (or indirectly) impacted a sense of presence, sensory brand app experience, attitude towards technology, and behavioral intention. However, AR and VR differed in how vividness and interactivity influenced sensory brand app experience and attitude towards technology. Overall, a sense of presence was a significant mediator for 1) the relationship between vividness and sensory brand app experience and 2) the relationship between interactivity and attitude towards technology for VR but no such relationship was observed with AR. The relationships among sensory brand app experience, attitude, and behavioral intention were significant in both AR and VR settings. Employing real AR/VR shopping situations, the study provides for practitioners deep understandings of consumers’ actual perceptions of applications of AR/VR and offers practical insights as to the efficiency of AR and VR in improving consumer virtual shopping experiences.