Search Results (261)

The extensive implementation of AI-driven chatbots in e-commerce has generated both acceptance and objection; however, previous studies have predominantly analyzed these responses separately. This study examines the mechanisms that drive dual customer responses to AI chatbots in the pre-purchase phase of the online shopping customer journey. The study integrates the Artificially Intelligent Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) model with the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework to explain how consumers develop both positive and negative behavioral responses to AI chatbot usage and to derive design-relevant implications for AI chatbot systems in online shopping. Data were collected from active or recent chatbot users in online shopping and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrate that social influence and chatbot anthropomorphism significantly affect consumers’ attitudes toward AI chatbot usage, whereas novelty value does not show a significant effect. Attitude toward using serves as a significant psychological mechanism that increases willingness to accept AI chatbots and purchase intention, while also being positively associated with objection to use among active or recent chatbot users. The findings extend understanding of AI-enabled interactive marketing and provide applied implications for AI chatbot system design, particularly with respect to interface anthropomorphism, transparent pre-purchase support, objection-sensitive escalation, and adaptive interaction strategies. Full article

Buying local food can support local economies, but the factors that drive these purchases in specific retail settings, such as local shops, are still not well understood. Research that considers sustainability alongside factors such as trust and perceived retail access remains limited. This study examines how dimensions of sustainability, trust, and perceived retail access influence purchase intention, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Data were collected via an online survey in Međimurje County, Croatia (n = 303), and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which explained 55% of the variance in purchase intention. The results show that, in addition to attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, only the environmental dimension of sustainability significantly influences purchase intention. These findings suggest that consumer decision-making in local shops is more strongly shaped by internal evaluations and perceived environmental benefits than by trust or access. The study provides channel-specific evidence from an intermediated short food supply chain (SFSC) format and shows that the relevance of extended TPB predictors varies across retail contexts. Full article

This study examines the impact of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) features on user satisfaction and purchase intention in Saudi mobile shopping applications, utilising the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework. With the increasing reliance on AI-driven decision support in e-commerce, enhancing transparency, fairness, trustworthiness, and interpretability has become crucial for shaping consumer perceptions and behavioural responses. The research employed a quantitative methodology using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the relationships among stimulus factors, cognitive and affective states, consumer satisfaction, and purchase intention. In a survey of 597 respondents from Jeddah and Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the findings highlight that fairness and bias detection, trustworthiness, and transparency significantly influence consumers’ cognitive and affective states, which in turn enhance satisfaction and intention to purchase. Consumer satisfaction emerged as a critical mediator, reinforcing the role of positive emotional and cognitive experiences in driving purchase behaviours. However, interpretability showed limited impact, suggesting that consumers may prioritise fairness and trustworthiness over technical clarity of explanations. Theoretically, this study contributes to advancing knowledge on the role of XAI in consumer behaviour by integrating fairness, transparency, and affective responses into the S–O–R paradigm. From a managerial perspective, the results underscore the importance for mobile shopping platforms to design AI systems that foster trust, reduce perceived bias, and ensure transparency, thereby improving consumer engagement and purchase outcomes. By addressing gaps in interpretability and transparency, businesses can strengthen user trust and loyalty, ultimately enhancing competitive advantage in Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing e-commerce sector. Full article

Creative expression is no longer separate from monetization. It is increasingly structured by the business models that platforms provide. Content monetization has evolved rapidly: early models focused on advertising revenue, followed by brand partnerships, and most recently, the integration of commerce-oriented features at the platform level. YouTube, for example, launched its YouTube Shopping service in South Korea in June 2024, enabling creators to sell products directly through their content. This development demonstrates that commerciality has become intrinsic to the creator economy. While prior research has emphasized factors such as authenticity, less focus has been placed on commerciality itself. This study addresses this gap by analyzing how varying levels of content commerciality affect performance, using real-world data from a Korean YouTube beauty creator agency (N = 286 short-form videos). The analysis tests the effects of three revenue models (organic, sponsored, and content-driven commerce) and two content types (context-focused and product-focused) through multiple regression. Results reveal a trade-off between engagement and revenue, as while content-driven commerce generates significantly higher engagement than sponsored content, it yields lower immediate revenue. Regarding content strategy, contrary to expectations, product-focused content consistently outperforms context-focused content in driving engagement, except within sponsored videos where a context-focused approach effectively mitigates the negative impact of overt commercial intent. These findings demonstrate the divergent efficacy of monetization models and content strategies in the short-form ecosystem. By empirically validating the relationship between commerciality and performance, this study advances theoretical discussions on the platform-driven creator economy and offers practical insights for creators, brands, and platforms navigating this evolving environment. Full article

Drawing upon social presence and perceived value theories, this study examines how time-limited (TL) and quantity-limited (QL) promotions influence consumers’ purchase intention in live-streaming shopping. Through two controlled experiments (using countdown prompts for TL and inventory visualization for QL), the findings reveal distinct mechanisms: TL promotions elevate functional value by fostering a perception of collective synchronicity, whereas QL promotions boost social value identification through the perception of interactive control. Notably, this latter pathway is moderated by social cue sensitivity. Theoretically, this work unveils a “dual social presence–perceived value” framework that overcomes the limitations of single-mediation models and integrates evidence from eye-tracking and neurobehavioral analysis. Practically, it proposes a strategic promotion-matching criterion (recommending TL for high-circulation goods and QL for scarce items) to optimize live-streaming marketing effectiveness. Full article

Under the rapid development of live commerce, impulse buying has become a core consumption phenomenon, yet its psychological triggering pathways across different consumer groups remain to be fully elucidated. Drawing on the S–O–R framework, this study conceptualizes live-stream interactivity, novelty, and streamer attractiveness as external “stimuli,” and positions immersive experience as the core “organism” mechanism, thereby constructing and testing an integrated “stimulus–experience–response (impulse buying intention)” model. Using a mixed-method approach that combines structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the results show that all three live-stream features significantly enhance impulse buying intention, primarily by strengthening immersive experience, with immersion exerting a significant partial mediating effect. Moreover, consumers’ loneliness significantly amplifies the indirect effect of live-stream features on impulse buying via immersive experience. The fsQCA further uncovers multiple equivalent pathways leading to high impulse buying intention, including a strong-experience pattern centered on “streamer attractiveness + immersive experience,” as well as a social compensation pattern centered on “high interactivity + high loneliness.” This study provides a testable theoretical framework, actionable operational strategies, and sustainable ethical guidance for live commerce, offering a pathway for the industry to achieve a “high experience × high conversion × high well-being” triple-win outcome. Full article

To address the information-processing burden faced by consumers in green consumption markets due to complex carbon footprint labels, opaque certification standards, and vague descriptions of environmental benefits, this study proposes a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-based precision recommendation mechanism for green products. The mechanism aims to enhance cognitive fluency and promote low-carbon purchase decisions. An experimental system, termed Eco-GenRec, is developed by integrating large language models (LLMs), multimodal generation, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques to enable personalized presentation of green product information. Based on inferred user cognitive styles, the system transforms product information into chart-based representations for analytical users or emotionally framed scenario narratives for intuitive users. This study is conducted on a web-based simulated shopping platform and employs a fully randomized design. A total of 1000 participants are randomly assigned to either a standardized information display group (control group) or an Eco-GenRec-generated display group (experimental group). Participants are drawn from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and cover a wide age range. The sample exhibits substantial demographic diversity, which enhances the representativeness of the findings. Cognitive fluency and low-carbon purchase conversion rates are measured as the primary outcomes. The results show that the Eco-GenRec group achieves a significantly higher cognitive fluency score (M = 5.68, SD = 0.89) than the control group (M = 4.60, SD = 1.01). This represents an increase of 23.4% (t = 18.34, p < 0.001, effect size d = 1.17). In addition, the low-carbon purchase conversion rate in the experimental group (36.3%) is significantly higher than that in the control group (17.6%). The absolute increase of 18.7% is statistically significant (χ² = 70.28, p < 0.001, effect size Cramér’s V = 0.265). Under conditions of high cognitive-style matching, the conversion rate improvement reaches 27.2%. Mechanism analysis shows that cognitive fluency mediates the relationship between GenAI-based recommendations and purchase intention. By transforming abstract environmental parameters into intuitive and easily interpretable content, artificial intelligence reduces information-processing burden and activates positive affect and trust among consumers. Overall, this study empirically validates the effectiveness of GenAI in green product recommendation. It provides a practical pathway for addressing the “comprehension barrier” in green consumption and extends the theoretical boundaries of research on cognitive fluency and low-carbon decision-making. Full article

Nishijin weaving in Kyoto developed as a luxury textile for kimono, yet sustaining the district requires expansion toward contemporary apparel and markets. Within a silk-centred culture and quality regime, polyester has been adopted as a versatile option, and its use has increased, especially for kimono-related products, partly because its filament form can substitute for silk and fit existing processes. From this trajectory, we explore a craft–code–craft pathway by integrating a biodegradable polyester grade into Nishijin’s code-based Jacquard production (CGS). Through practice-based research, we trace how design intent is encoded (Houdini → CGS → Jacquard) and how shop-floor constraints reconfigure design (Jacquard → CGS → Houdini), revealing institutional constraints that shape which materials become usable. We report three case studies: (A) 3D woven structures informed by pleat parameterisation, (B) a zero-waste garment using a 25 cm repeat logic, and (C) a fashion show that makes translation processes legible to the public in an exhibition context. While biodegradable polyester can fit existing infrastructure, apparel-grade warp use remains under development due to warping and warp-joining requirements; yarn specifications and design parameters are being revised. By foregrounding translation across tools, roles, and standards, the study proposes pathways for material transition and circularity within a craft system. Full article

Greenery and nature are used as symbols in city branding. These symbols have been well documented to be effective in improving physical and mental health. Especially in a country like Japan where natural disasters occur frequently, there may be differences in the impact of these two factors on the intention to live in an urban area. Second, the literature on the impact of greenery and nature on residential intentions is limited to observational studies of existing cities, with a surprising lack of empirical studies encompassing other urban components. Therefore, we address the following research question: ‘Do greenery and nature contribute to the residential intentions of Tokyo residents?’ Orthogonal arrays were adopted to generate 18 patterns of city designs targeting five attributes (residential areas, public facilities, greenery/nature, shopping areas, and station buildings). A randomized controlled trial with 1000 online survey participants revealed that parks were more effective than mountains in increasing people’s intention to live in a city. The effect was greater in more developed cities or among residents with a more urban orientation. In countries where natural disasters occur frequently, it is important to recognize that greenery and nature are similar but differ in their elements. Full article

International shopping is a significant motive for outbound travel; however, evidence on the experiential drivers of luxury travel retail among Chinese luxury travelers remains limited. This study investigates the factors shaping overseas shopping experiences and assesses the adequacy of the luxury customer experience (LCX) framework in this episodic, time-constrained, cross-border context. A quantitative survey of Chinese luxury travelers (N = 407) was conducted and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version [30.0], Mac) within the LCX framework. The results show that modern artistic visual merchandising positively predicts overall experience evaluation (β = 0.162, p < 0.001), and emotional connection significantly predicts repurchase intention (β = 0.197, p < 0.001). We find that overall experience evaluation and subsequent behavioral responses are shaped by specific drivers, including service-related post-purchase factors, emotional fulfillment and brand trust, visual appeal, and affective/cognitive evaluations. These results point to possible gaps in theory when LCX is used in short-term travel retail contexts. To address these gaps, we propose the transient experience, relationship quality, action outcomes, connection, and engagement (TRACE) conceptual framework for analyzing feedback-driven encounters throughout the travel experience. Overall, this study extends LCX to episodic, time-constrained contexts and introduces TRACE as a conceptual complementary model to guide future theory testing and model validation in luxury travel retail contexts. Full article

Digital retail is undergoing a paradigm shift driven by the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). Although prior studies have examined the independent effects of AI-based personalized recommendation (cognitive path) and AR-enabled immersion (experiential path), how their integration systematically shapes user behavior through internal psychological mechanisms remains an important unresolved theoretical gap. To address this gap, this study develops an integrated model grounded in the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework and trust transfer theory. Specifically, the model examines how personalized recommendation, as a dynamic external stimulus, influences users’ cognitive state (perceived usefulness) and experiential state (immersion); how the overall trust of users in the integrated platform can be used as a key boundary condition to adjust the transformation efficiency from the above stimulus to the internal state; and how the above cognitive and experiential states can ultimately drive the continued usage intention through the mediation of positive emotional response. Based on survey data from 400 Chinese consumers with AR shopping experience on Taobao, analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), the results indicate that (1) personalized recommendation positively affects both immersion and perceived usefulness; (2) platform trust significantly and positively moderates the effects of personalized recommendation on both immersion and perceived usefulness; (3) both cognitive and experiential states stimulate positive emotions, which in turn enhance continued usage intention, with perceived usefulness exerting a stronger effect; (4) a key theoretical finding is that there is a significant positive correlation between perceived usefulness and immersion, revealing the coupling of psychological paths in an integrated environment; however, immersion does not moderate the effect of personalized recommendation on emotional responses, suggesting that the current integration mode emphasizes the formation of a stable psychological structure rather than real-time interaction. This study makes three contributions to the existing literature. First, it extends the application of S–O–R theory in a complex technological environment by analyzing the “organism” as a parallel and related cognitive-experience dual path and confirming its coupling relationship. Second, it elucidates the enabling role of trust as a moderating mechanism rather than a direct antecedent, thereby enriching micro-level evidence for trust transfer theory in the context of technology integration. Finally, by contrasting path coupling with process regulation, this study provides a more detailed distinction for understanding the theoretical connotations and boundaries of AI–AR technology integration, which may mainly be a kind of structural integration. Full article

This study examines the socio-economic and behavioral factors influencing sustainable consumption through secondhand clothing purchases among young consumers in Hanoi, Vietnam. By addressing the changing consumption patterns, this research contributes to understanding how youth behavior supports the transition toward sustainability in emerging urban markets. This research integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with additional constructs such as perceived economic benefits, environmental concern, perceived risk, shopping experience, and gender differences to provide an integrated socio-economic framework. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to university students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that perceived economic benefits and subjective norms are the strongest predictors of purchase intention across both general and luxury secondhand fashion segments, emphasizing affordability and social acceptance. Environmental concern and attitude also positively influence general secondhand purchase intentions, while perceived behavioral control notably impacts luxury secondhand purchases. Contrary to prior studies, perceived risk was found to be insignificant, and male consumers exhibited a higher engagement rate than females in this context. These findings underscore the complex interplay of economic, social, and environmental dimensions shaping sustainable fashion consumption among youth. This study suggests targeted marketing and policy strategies to promote sustainable consumption and supports the expansion of circular economy practices in emerging urban markets. Limitations related to sample scope and self-reported data warrant further research to generalize the findings and explore additional moderating variables. Full article

With the development of information technology, live shopping has emerged as a new approach to product marketing and has attracted considerable attention. However, in the context of an aging population, little is known about the factors influencing the intention of the elderly to engage in live shopping. The aim of this study is to determine the psychological and cognitive mechanisms that influence the willingness of elderly people to engage in live shopping. This study integrated the Flow Theory and the Information System Success Model to construct a live shopping acceptance model for the elderly based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response model. It was used for in-depth insight into the live shopping behaviors of elderly users. The structural equation model was used in the study to analyze 337 valid questionnaires. The results showed that interactivity, authenticity, attractiveness, and entertainment could improve the flow in livestreaming shopping among elderly users. Entertainment and attractiveness had a positive influence on perceived pleasure, and flow in live shopping, and perceived pleasure had a direct and significant influence on the elderly’s intention to make a live purchase. The factors of information quality and ease of use have no direct impact on perceived pleasure. This study enriched the user behavior theory of live shopping and provided inspiration for the aging-friendly and sustainable development of live shopping services of shopping platforms, live streamers, and service providers. Full article

Virtual fitting rooms have come a long way, incorporating augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and body scanning technologies to enhance the shopping experience. While the extant literature has provided systematic examinations of consumers’ experience for virtual fitting rooms, factors that affect consumers’ virtual model selection and intention to use virtual fitting rooms remain understudied. This study aims to explore how consumers’ body esteem influences virtual model selection, trust in virtual models, and intention to use virtual fitting rooms. The results of an empirical study in China showed that consumers with high (vs. low) body esteem were more willing to select virtual models with body sizes that were congruent with (vs. larger than) their own, and they were more likely to trust virtual models and use virtual fitting rooms. The preference for thin models and the need for uniqueness produced a moderating effect. These results provide valuable insights into consumers’ intention to use virtual fitting rooms in e-commerce. Full article

This study examines how dual appraisals of value and risk jointly shape purchase intention in live-streaming commerce, refining the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework for an understudied market context. Drawing on data from Indonesian live-stream shoppers, we demonstrate that stimuli such as streamer credibility, interactivity, and media richness enhance value perceptions and reduce perceived risk, which in turn increases purchase intention. The findings indicated that perceived value is the dominant pathway to intention, while perceived risk shows a small but positive association in this context. The study contributes by advancing S-O-R with dual appraisals and offers design guidance for stream formats. Practically, the findings provide explicit direction for allocating resources towards media richness and structured interactivity, while simultaneously emphasising the importance of safeguards. These design decisions consistently increase consumers’ purchase intentions and perceived value. Full article