Role of Invisible Digital Innovations in Shaping Consumer Experience: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Invisible In-store Technologies (IIST) profoundly influences the purchasing process by creating a seamless, data-driven retail experience that stimulates customers' decision-making at every phase. Interestingly, this transformation of the purchase journey takes place without customers' awareness or explicit consent at the point of action; thus, satisfaction may increase due to convenience or decrease because of unauthorised data access. The study utilised a multi-method qualitative approach to gather data through walk-along observations, sensory ethnography, and narrative elicitation of in-store experiences, involving 30 purposively selected participants. The data were analysed based on the ‘Grounded Theory Approach’ and ‘Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis’. The theoretical background comprises three state-of-the-art frameworks, which enable the critical exploration of retail experiences as co-constructed by consumers and non-human technological agents. The study's findings suggest that some of the key drivers identified are convenience, personalised product suggestions, autonomy, etc. These factors convey a sense of seamlessness and store intelligence. On the contrary, the study also identified barriers, including low awareness, discomfort with backend data collection, impersonal services, distrust of algorithmic recommendations, and privacy concerns.