Customer experience (CX) is one of the top priorities for marketing executives in the coming years. Driven by the proliferation of augmented reality (AR) technologies, several firms started to embed such technologies to enhance their customer experience. The purpose of the current paper is to examine the importance of embedding AR technologies in sustainable cosmetics brands to enhance CX and encourage people towards sustainable consumption behaviors.
The study employs a causal research design using an online quasi-experimental approach, which includes a virtual try-on (VTO) experience followed by a survey. Respondents engaged with the interface of VTO, featuring a sustainable makeup brand called Catrice. Data was collected from 300 females aged between 17 and 31 years old. The data was analyzed using SmartPLS 4 software.
The results show that there is a significant impact existing on CX by augmentation, environmental embeddedness, vividness, simulated physical control (SPC), and interactivity, which leads to a positive impact on purchase intention of sustainable cosmetics. Results also reveal that there was no moderation effect caused by environmental concern on the relationship between CX and purchase intention.
Marketers should prioritize integrating AR technology in online shopping, focusing on SPC, augmentation, environmental embeddedness, vividness, and interactivity to enhance CX and purchase intention. Sustainability should be a value-add, not a key driver. AR strategies must target young females, emphasizing usability, enjoyment and interactivity, supported by influencers, digital platforms and educational AR-based campaigns.
Drawing on situated cognition theory, the current paper provides a conceptual framework to study the impact of AR drivers, embedded holograms, and embodied interactivity on enhancing the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral CX in the sustainable cosmetics industry. The integration of sustainability and new technologies is now of great importance to researchers and practitioners to enhance both CX and sustainable consumption. It also examines the moderation effect of environmental concern between CX dimensions and purchase intention of sustainable cosmetics. This study’s results uniquely demonstrate that AR’s influence on purchase intention remains strong regardless of consumers’ level of environmental concern, underscoring the dominant role of AR impacting CX, as a direct driver of sustainable cosmetic product purchases.
