Augmented Reality and the Customer Journey: An Exploratory Bibliometric Review

Authors

Download

Abstract

The reactions regarding consumers and interactive environments through the purchasing process are still unknown. This article aims to deliver a quantitative approach of the relationship between Augmented Reality and the Customer Journey research. Manifested in 86 articles published in the Web of Science core index in the last decade (between 2013 and 2023). General results show that the topic has been gaining attention over the last 5 years and it is expected to keep growing in the future. Main authors are Chylinski, De Ruyter, Heller, Rauschnabel, Javornik, Hilken. Whilst Flavian, Lemon, and Kumar stand crucial to link AR to the Customer Journey; and Pantano, Dacko, and Grewal to Digital Marketing. Overall, AR technologies have a significant role in adding value to the customer experience throughout the Customer Journey by building customer confidence, helping shoppers make the right choice, making the shopping experience easier and more engaging, and increasing the purchase intention.

Keywords:

Augmented Reality , Marketing , Customer Journey , Bibliometric Review

References

Alexander, B., & Bellandi, N. (2022). Limited or limitless? Exploring the potential of NFTs on value creation in luxury fashion. www.bethanalexander.com,

Ameen, N., Cheah, J. H., & Kumar, S. (2022). It’s all part of the customer journey: The impact of augmented reality, chatbots, and social media on the body image and self-esteem of Generation Z female consumers. Psychology and Marketing, 39(11), 2110–2129. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21715

Azuma, R. T. (1997). A Survey of Augmented Reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355–385. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355

Azuma, R. T. (2019). The road to ubiquitous consumer augmented reality systems. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 1(1), 26–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.113

Barhorst, J., McLean, G., Shah, E., & Mack, R. (2021). Blending the real world and the virtual world: Exploring the role of flow in augmented reality experiences. Journal of Business Research, 122(September 2019), 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.041

Batat, W. (2021). How augmented reality (AR) is transforming the restaurant sector: Investigating the impact of “Le Petit Chef” on customers’ dining experiences. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121013

Berman, B. (2020). Paths to Purchase: The Seven Steps of Customer Purchase Journey Mapping.

Brannon Barhorst, J., McLean, G., Shah, E., & Mack, R. (2021). Blending the real world and the virtual world: Exploring the role of flow in augmented reality experiences. Journal of Business Research, 122, 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.041

Broilo, P. L., Espartel, L. B., & Basso, K. (2016). Pre-purchase information search: too many sources to choose. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(3), 193–211. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-07-2015-0048

Butt, A., Ahmad, H., Muzaffar, A., Ali, F., & Shafique, N. (2022). WOW, the make-up AR app is impressive: a comparative study between China and South Korea. Journal of Services Marketing, 36(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0508

Chandra P Jain, S. S., & Nanda Kumar P Jain, K. S. (2018). Exploring Factors Influencing Organizational Adoption Of Augmented Reality In E-commerce: Empirical Analysis Using Technology-organization-environment Model. In Journal of Electronic Commerce Research (Vol. 19).

Chaudhary, P., Kiran, P., Kate, N., & Pandey, S. (2022). Experiential tourism – role and application of micro-targeting in enhancing customer experience, engagement and loyalty. Journal of Information and Optimization Sciences, 43(6), 1463–1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/02522667.2022.2139929

Chen, S. C., Chou, T. H., Hongsuchon, T., Ruangkanjanases, A., Kittikowit, S., & Lee, T. C. (2022). The mediation effect of marketing activities toward augmented reality: the perspective of extended customer experience. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(3), 461–480. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-03-2021-0093

Chiu, C. L., Ho, H. C., Yu, T., Liu, Y., & Mo, Y. (2021). Exploring information technology success of Augmented Reality Retail Applications in retail food chain. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102561

Chylinski, M., Heller, J., Hilken, T., Keeling, D. I., Mahr, D., & de Ruyter, K. (2020). Augmented reality marketing: A technology-enabled approach to situated customer experience. Australasian Marketing Journal, 28(4), 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.04.004

Cruz, E., Orts-Escolano, S., Gomez-Donoso, F., Rizo, C., Rangel, J. C., Mora, H., & Cazorla, M. (2019). An augmented reality application for improving shopping experience in large retail stores. Virtual Reality, 23(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-018-0338-3

Cuomo, M. T., Tortora, D., Festa, G., Ceruti, F., & Metallo, G. (2020). Managing omni-customer brand experience via augmented reality: A qualitative investigation in the Italian fashion retailing system. Qualitative Market Research, 23(3), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1108/QMR-11-2017-0142

Dacko, S. G. (2017). Enabling smart retail settings via mobile augmented reality shopping apps. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 124, 243–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.09.032

de Battisti, F., & Salini, S. (2013). Robust analysis of bibliometric data. Statistical Methods & Applications, 22(2), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10260-012-0217-0

Dehghani, M., Lee, S. H. (Mark), & Mashatan, A. (2020). Touching holograms with windows mixed reality: Renovating the consumer retailing services. Technology in Society, 63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101394

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Du, Z., Liu, J., & Wang, T. (2022). Augmented Reality Marketing: A Systematic Literature Review and an Agenda for Future Inquiry. In Frontiers in Psychology (Vol. 13). Frontiers Media S.A. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925963

Flavián, C., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., & Orús, C. (2019). The impact of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies on the customer experience. Journal of Business Research, 100, 547–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.050

Følstad, A., & Kvale, K. (2018). Customer journeys: a systematic literature review. In Journal of Service Theory and Practice (Vol. 28, Issue 2, pp. 196–227). Emerald Group Holdings Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-11-2014-0261

Fritz, W., Hadi, R., & Stephen, A. (2022). From tablet to table: How augmented reality influences food desirability. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00919-x

Gatter, S., Hüttl-Maack, V., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2022). Can augmented reality satisfy consumers’ need for touch? Psychology and Marketing, 39(3), 508–523. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21618

Golja, T., & Paulišić, M. (2021). Managing-technology enhanced tourist experience: The case of scattered hotels in istria. Management (Croatia), 26(1), 63–95. https://doi.org/10.30924/MJCMI.26.1.5

Guo, K., Fan, A., Lehto, X., & Day, J. (2021). Immersive Digital Tourism: The Role of Multisensory Cues in Digital Museum Experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211030319

Hamouda, M. (2021). Purchase intention through mobile applications: a customer experience lens. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 49(10), 1464–1480. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2020-0369

Hausmann, A., & Schuhbauer, S. (2021). The role of information and communication technologies in cultural tourists’ journeys: the case of a World Heritage Site. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 16(6), 669–683. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2020.1819300

Heller, J., Chylinski, M., de Ruyter, K., Mahr, D., & Keeling, D. I. (2019). Let Me Imagine That for You: Transforming the Retail Frontline Through Augmenting Customer Mental Imagery Ability. Journal of Retailing, 95(2), 94–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2019.03.005

Heller, J., Mahr, D., de Ruyter, K., Schaap, E., Hilken, T., Keeling, D. I., Chylinski, M., Flavián, C., Jung, T., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2023). An interdisciplinary Co-authorship networking perspective on AR and human behavior: Taking stock and moving ahead. Computers in Human Behavior, 143, 107697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107697

Hilken, T., Heller, J., Chylinski, M., Keeling, D. I., Mahr, D., & de Ruyter, K. (2018). Making omnichannel an augmented reality: the current and future state of the art. In Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (Vol. 12, Issue 4, pp. 509–523). Emerald Group Holdings Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-01-2018-0023

Hollebeek, L. D., Clark, M. K., Andreassen, T. W., Sigurdsson, V., & Smith, D. (2020). Virtual reality through the customer journey: Framework and propositions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102056

Hoyer, W. D., Kroschke, M., Schmitt, B., Kraume, K., & Shankar, V. (2020). Transforming the Customer Experience Through New Technologies. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51, 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.04.001

Huang, T. L., Mathews, S., & Chou, C. Y. (2019). Enhancing online rapport experience via augmented reality. Journal of Services Marketing, 31(7), 851–865. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2018-0366

Javornik, A. (2016). ‘It’s an illusion, but it looks real!’ Consumer affective, cognitive and behavioural responses to augmented reality applications. Journal of Marketing Management, 32(9–10), 987–1011. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2016.1174726

Javornik, A., Duffy, K., Rokka, J., Scholz, J., Nobbs, K., Motala, A., & Goldenberg, A. (2021). Strategic approaches to augmented reality deployment by luxury brands. Journal of Business Research, 136, 284–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.07.040

Kim, J. H., Kim, M., Park, M., & Yoo, J. (2023). Immersive interactive technologies and virtual shopping experiences: Differences in consumer perceptions between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Telematics and Informatics, 77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2022.101936

Kim, Y. (2021). Revitalization of offline fashion stores: Exploring strategies to improve the smart retailing experience by applying mobile technology. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063434

Kumar, A., & Anjaly, B. (2017). How to measure post-purchase customer experience in online retailing? A scale development study. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 45(12), 1277–1297. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-01-2017-0002

Lao, A., Vlad, M., & Martin, A. (2021). Exploring how digital kiosk customer experience enhances shopping value, self-mental imagery and behavioral responses. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 49(7), 817–845. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2020-0357

Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420

Llanos-Herrera, G. R., & Merigo, J. M. (2019). Overview of brand personality research with bibliometric indicators. Kybernetes, 48(3), 546–569. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-02-2018-0051

Meyer, C., & Schwager, A. (2007). Understanding Customer Experience. www.gethuman.com

Milgram, P., & Kishino, F. (1994). A TAXONOMY OF MIXED REALITY VISUAL DISPLAYS. In IEICE Transactions on Information Systems (Issue 12). http://vered.rose.utoronto.ca/people/paul_dir/IEICE94/ieice.html

Mishra, R., Singh, R. K., & Koles, B. (2021). Consumer decision-making in omnichannel retailing: Literature review and future research agenda. In International Journal of Consumer Studies (Vol. 45, Issue 2, pp. 147–174). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12617

Orús, C., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., & Flavián, C. (2021). Enhancing the customer experience with virtual and augmented reality: The impact of content and device type. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103019

Parise, S., Guinan, P. J., & Kafka, R. (2016). Solving the crisis of immediacy: How digital technology can transform the customer experience. Business Horizons, 59(4), 411–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2016.03.004

Paul, J., Lim, W. M., O’Cass, A., Hao, A. W., & Bresciani, S. (2021). Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR). International Journal of Consumer Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12695

Penco, L., Serravalle, F., Profumo, G., & Viassone, M. (2021). Mobile augmented reality as an internationalization tool in the “Made In Italy” food and beverage industry. Journal of Management and Governance, 25(4), 1179–1209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10997-020-09526-w

Pillai, S. G., Haldorai, K., Seo, W. S., & Kim, W. G. (2021). COVID-19 and hospitality 5.0: Redefining hospitality operations. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102869

Pine, J., & Gilmore, J. H. (1998). Welcome to the Experience Economy. Harvard Business Review, 76(4), 97–105.

Plotkina, D., Dinsmore, J., & Racat, M. (2022). Improving service brand personality with augmented reality marketing. Journal of Services Marketing, 36(6), 781–799. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0519

Pritchard, A. (1969). “Statistical Bibliography or Bibliometrics?” Journal of Documentation, 25(4), 348–349.

Rajagopal. (2022). Impact of retailing technology during business shutdown. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 40(4), 441–459. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-08-2021-0255

Rauschnabel, P. A., Babin, B. J., tom Dieck, M. C., Krey, N., & Jung, T. (2022). What is augmented reality marketing? Its definition, complexity, and future. In Journal of Business Research (Vol. 142, pp. 1140–1150). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.084

Rauschnabel, P. A., He, J., & Ro, Y. K. (2018). Antecedents to the adoption of augmented reality smart glasses: A closer look at privacy risks. Journal of Business Research, 92, 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.08.008

Rinaldi, C., Franchi, F., Marotta, A., Graziosi, F., & Centofanti, C. (2021). On the Exploitation of 5G Multi-Access Edge Computing for Spatial Audio in Cultural Heritage Applications. IEEE Access, 9, 155197–155206. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3128786

Romano, B., Sands, S., & Pallant, J. I. (2022). Virtual shopping: segmenting consumer attitudes towards augmented reality as a shopping tool. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-10-2021-0493

Roy, S. K., Balaji, M. S., Sadeque, S., Nguyen, B., & Melewar, T. C. (2017). Constituents and consequences of smart customer experience in retailing. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 124, 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.09.022

Schmitt, B. (1999). Experiential Marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(1–3), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725799784870496

Scholz, J., & Smith, A. N. (2016). Augmented reality: Designing immersive experiences that maximize consumer engagement. Business Horizons, 59(2), 149–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2015.10.003

Silva, S. C., Dias, J. C., & Braga, B. (2023). How footwear companies can use online CX to WOW customers. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-05-2022-0150

Sung, E. (Christine). (2021). The effects of augmented reality mobile app advertising: Viral marketing via shared social experience. Journal of Business Research, 122, 75–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.034

Tan, Y. C., Chandukala, S. R., & Reddy, S. K. (2022). Augmented Reality in Retail and Its Impact on Sales. Journal of Marketing, 86(1), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242921995449

Tueanrat, Y., Papagiannidis, S., & Alamanos, E. (2021). Going on a journey: A review of the customer journey literature. In Journal of Business Research (Vol. 125, pp. 336–353). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.028

van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Wedel, M., Bigné, E., & Zhang, J. (2020). Virtual and augmented reality: Advancing research in consumer marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(3), 443–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.04.004

Wu, J., Zhang, D., Liu, T., Yang, H. H., Wang, Y., Yao, H., & Zhao, S. (2022). Usability Evaluation of Augmented Reality: A Neuro-Information-Systems Study. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2022(189). https://doi.org/10.3791/64667

Ylilehto, M., Komulainen, H., & Ulkuniemi, P. (2021). The critical factors shaping customer shopping experiences with innovative technologies. Baltic Journal of Management, 16(5), 661–680. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-02-2021-0049

Yung, R., & Khoo-Lattimore, C. (2019). New realities: a systematic literature review on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism research. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(17), 2056–2081. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2017.1417359

Zanger, V., Meißner, M., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2022). Beyond the gimmick: How affective responses drive brand attitudes and intentions in augmented reality marketing. Psychology and Marketing, 39(7), 1285–1301. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21641

Zhang, M., Li, Y., Li, Y., & Ren, X. (2023). Beyond presence: Creating attractive online retailing stores through the cool AR technology. International Journal of Consumer Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12894

Zhang, X. (2021). New Retail Marketing Strategy Combining Virtual Reality and 5G Mobile Communication. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6632701

Ziaie, A., ShamiZanjani, M., & Manian, A. (2021). Systematic review of digital value propositions in the retail sector: New approach for digital experience study. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2021.101053