Why omnichannel shoppers adopt – or resist – AR try-on: a behavioural reasoning perspective

What the paper says

Purpose This study aims to examine how behavioural reasoning theory (BRT) explains omnichannel shoppers’ usage of augmented reality (AR) Try-on in digital retail. It analyses both reasons for (RF) and reasons against (RA) concerning usage intention and introduces psychological inertia as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods sequential design was adopted. In the qualitative phase, a focus group with omnichannel shoppers identified context-specific enablers and barriers of AR Try-on, which informed the constructs RF and RA. In the quantitative phase, survey data from 453 shoppers were analysed using PLS-SEM, modelling RF and RA as reflective second-order constructs to test relationships among perceived compatibility, attitude and usage intention, as well as the moderating role of inertia. Findings Perceived compatibility strongly promotes RF and attitude but has only a modest negative effect on RA. RF exerts a stronger influence on attitude, while RA more effectively suppresses intention under high inertia. Inertia weakens the positive impact of RF on attitude and amplifies the negative impact of RA on both attitude and intention. Some hypotheses, such as the expected strong negative effect of compatibility, were only partially supported. Practical implications The study provides actionable insights for retailers, highlighting the need to enhance realism, simplify interfaces, safeguard privacy and design frictionless first-use experiences to reduce inertia and improve usage. Originality/value This study extends BRT to the immersive retail context of AR Try-on, a domain where negative reasoning has been underexplored. It also introduces inertia as a boundary condition, enriching theoretical understanding of usage behaviour when promotive and preventive reasoning coexist.