The impact of AR app characteristics on telepresence, customer experience, and continued app usage intention: The moderating effect of consumer innovativeness

With the rise in consumer demand for contactless shopping driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, online retailers have increasingly integrated VR and AR technologies into their shopping apps to enhance the immersive shopping experience. This study investigates the factors influencing continued usage intention in AR shopping apps by categorizing AR app characteristics into seamlessness, interactivity, and visual appeal. The research proposes that these characteristics influence telepresence, which subsequently impacts consumers’ sensory and emotional shopping experiences, ultimately leading to continued app usage intention. Additionally, it is hypothesized that consumer innovativeness positively moderates the relationship between AR app characteristics and telepresence. To test these hypotheses, a survey was conducted with 417 active AR shopping app users in China, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized for analysis. The results confirmed all hypotheses except for the effect of interactivity on telepresence and the moderating role of innovativeness in this relationship. The findings provide practical insights for companies adopting AR shopping apps and contribute to academic discussions on contactless shopping channels.