Examine the effectiveness of Augmented Reality (AR) in furniture applications: To improve the online purchasing experience in Pakistan

Online shopping in Pakistan has surged owing to excessive smartphone utilization. However, users still have difficulty purchasing furniture online because they can't visualize how products will appear in real surroundings. To address this problem, augmented reality (AR) should be integrated into shopping apps to improve user engagement. AR enables users to virtually try products before purchasing them, saving time and effort. The study fills a knowledge gap and is among the initial studies in Pakistan to examine AR adoption and its effects on user attitudes and purchase intentions. Thus, AR variables including usefulness, usability, interaction, vividness, novelty, telepresence, and hedonic emotion were explored to determine how Pakistani users perceive and feel about the technology. The study further investigated AR awareness and explored AR's impact on generational differences. A mixed-method approach was applied in the form of semi-structured interviews and online questionnaire and the collected data was analysed using several statistical methods. The findings revealed that most respondents had positive attitudes indicating a willingness to use Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) apps because of their interactive and distinctive features such as novelty, telepresence, and hedonic value. Also, being somewhat familiar with AR apps improves users' attitudes and enhances purchase probability. Likewise, Gen Z prefers AR over millennials as they find it helpful in making well-informed decisions. The study greatly contributes to the literature and offers implications and recommendations for further studies. It's high time that furniture retailers implement cutting-edge AR technology to achieve a competitive advantage and boost the online shopping experience.