Investigation of the effect of augmented reality applications on electronic shopping experience and purchase intention

Today, digital channels have become important shopping channels thanks to the development of internet and mobile device technologies. As a result of the increase in the technical capacities of interactive technologies, businesses are designing effective shopping experiences for consumers in order to gain competitive advantage. Augmented reality is one of the important interaction technologies used to enrich consumer experiences in both physical and online retailing. By integrating virtual product information with the real world through augmented reality technology, consumers experience a richer shopping experience compared to traditional digital shopping channels. Today, one of the important sectors where augmented reality shopping applications are used is the beauty sector. Before purchasing make-up products in their mobile or online shopping, consumers can try the product on their faces through these applications and decide accordingly. At this point, in the context of electronic shopping, the features of the augmented reality application are very important for consumers to evaluate the product properly. In this context, the first purpose of the study (1) is to examine the effects of the augmented reality characteristics perceived by the consumers from the mobile augmented reality shopping application on their perceived quality of mental imagery, perceived informativeness, attitude towards the application and purchase intention. The second purpose of the study (2) is to determine the moderator effects of the risk dimensions (performance risk, financial risk and privacy risk) perceived by consumers from the augmented reality application on the relationships between augmented reality features and purchase intention. Finally, the third purpose of the study (3) is to compare the augmented reality experience and the physical store experience in terms of their effects on purchase intention through quality of mental imagery and perceived informativeness. As a result of the structural equation model analysis, it was found that the dimensions that affect the quality of mental imagery are controllability of interactivity, playfulness of interactivity, vividness and novelty. It has been determined that the dimensions that affect perceived informativeness are the controllability of the interactivity, responsiveness of the interactivity, playfulness of interactivity and vividness. In addition, it has been determined that the only dimension that has a direct effect on the attitude towards the application is the playfulness of interactivity. According to the results of the analysis, it was determined that the quality of mental imagery and the perceived informativeness affect the attitude towards the application, and the attitude towards the application affects the purchase intention. The results of obtained from moderated mediation analysis show that generally the perceived risk dimensions reduce the levels of direct effects of augmented reality characteristics on purchase intention. It has been determined that performance risk and financial risk increase the levels of indirect effects of augmented reality characteristics on purchase intention. On the other hand, it has been determined that the privacy risk has a moderation effect only on the indirect effect of the controllability of interactivity on purchase intention and reduces this effect. Mediation effect analysis results show that, the augmented reality experience and the physical store experience have a statistically significant positive effect on purchase intention. In addition, the augmented reality experience has a statistically significant effect on purchase intention through mental imagery quality. However, the physical store experience has no statistically significant effect on purchase intention through quality of mental imagery. Finally, it has been determined that both augmented reality experience and physical store experience have an effect on purchase intention through perceived informativeness.