The Influence of Augmented Reality on the Consumer Purchasing Process

Augmented reality (AR) has recently gained the attention of both scholars and practitioners, thanks to its ability to provide captivating and immersive experiences that lead users to fully engage in the proposed content. Despite the increasing use of AR by companies and individuals, there are still few empirical studies investigating its influence on consumer behavior; therefore, the present study intends to analyze the different behaviors and attitudes of consumers during their purchasing process in front of AR technologies. To this end, an online questionnaire was submitted to individuals belonging to different generational cohorts, obtaining 337 responses. From the results, it emerged that most of the sample expressed a more than positive opinion regarding the help that AR technologies could give to the consumer when he/she chooses and buys a product. Understanding the characteristics of the product, having a unique experience with it during the purchasing process, and making choices with more awareness and fastness are some of the positive aspects that were identified by the respondents.