Short answer

When designing in-store retail experiences, prioritize technologies that offer high levels of convenience and foster social presence to create more vivid and engaging consumer interactions, ultimately boosting sales.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2019)
Method: Conceptual Framework Development

Technologies that offer higher convenience and social presence can create a more vivid and engaging consumer experience, leading to improved sales outcomes. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Using Conceptual framework development, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing in-store retail experiences, prioritize technologies that offer high levels of convenience and foster social presence to create more vivid and engaging consumer interactions, ultimately boosting sales.

Study

User-Centred DesignHigh Impact

Increased convenience and social presence in retail technology enhances sales

Technologies that offer higher convenience and social presence can create a more vivid and engaging consumer experience, leading to improved sales outcomes.

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 2019

Key Findings

01In-store technologies can be categorized by their level of convenience and social presence.
02Higher convenience and social presence in technology lead to increased consumer vividness (involvement, imagery, elaboration).
03Enhanced consumer vividness ultimately leads to increased sales.
04Consumer traits, product/service dimensions, mental models, and social networks moderate the impact of technology on vividness.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

For a smart fitting room, integrate augmented reality (high social presence) for virtual try-ons and seamless payment options (high convenience). For a smart shelf, use interactive displays (social presence) that provide detailed product information and easy reordering (convenience).

Project actions

01When designing a new retail app or in-store kiosk, think about how it makes things easier (convenience) and how it makes the customer feel connected or immersed (social presence).
02Consider how your design helps customers imagine using the product or feel more involved in the shopping process.

Method & Evidence

AimTo develop a conceptual framework for understanding how new in-store technologies, based on convenience and social presence, influence consumer vividness and ultimately sales.

MethodConceptual Framework Development

ProcedureThe authors developed a 2x2 typology of in-store technologies based on convenience and social presence, proposed relationships between these dimensions, vividness (involvement, imagery, elaboration), and sales, and identified moderating factors.

ContextRetail/In-store technology

Variables

IVLevel of convenience in in-store technology; Level of social presence in in-store technology

DVConsumer vividness (involvement, imagery, elaboration); Sales

CVNot applicable (conceptual paper)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a clear conceptual framework for understanding complex technology impacts.
+Identifies key dimensions (convenience, social presence) that are actionable for designers.
+Highlights moderating factors, encouraging nuanced application of the framework.

Limitations

This paper is a theory, not an experiment. You can't say for sure that convenience and social presence *will* increase sales without testing it yourself. Technology changes fast, so what's 'futuristic' today might be standard tomorrow.

Reliability & validity

As a conceptual paper, reliability and validity in the empirical sense are not directly applicable. However, the framework's internal consistency (logical flow of propositions) and external validity (applicability to real-world retail scenarios) would need to be assessed through future empirical research.

Think critically

How might the definition of 'social presence' in technology evolve with new forms of interaction (e.g., AI companions, metaverse shopping)? What are the ethical implications of designing technology to maximize 'vividness' and influence purchasing decisions?

Design Principles

"Vividness through Convenience and Social Presence."

Consumers are more likely to purchase when they feel a strong connection to the product or service, and when the purchasing process is effortless. Technology can bridge this gap by making interactions more immersive and less friction-filled, tapping into fundamental human desires for ease and connection.

What This Means for Your Design

If you make shopping technology easy to use and feel more personal, people will get more excited about what they're buying and buy more stuff.

How to use in your project

1.When mapping user flows for a retail app, ensure paths for high-convenience actions (e.g., quick checkout) are prominent. For features requiring social presence (e.g., community reviews, AR try-ons), ensure clear navigation and integration within relevant product pages.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Grewal et al. (2019) propose that in-store technologies enhancing convenience and social presence lead to increased consumer vividness and sales, suggesting that our design for [your project feature] should prioritize [specific convenience feature] and [specific social presence feature] to maximize user engagement.

Source

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

The future of in-store technology

journal · 2019

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about increased convenience and social presence in retail technology enhances sales?: When designing in-store retail experiences, prioritize technologies that offer high levels of convenience and foster social presence to create more vivid and engaging consumer interactions, ultimately boosting sales. Evidence: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2019).
Why does "Increased convenience and social presence in retail technology enhances sales" matter for design?: Consumers are more likely to purchase when they feel a strong connection to the product or service, and when the purchasing process is effortless. Technology can bridge this gap by making interactions more immersive and less friction-filled, tapping into fundamental human desires for ease and connection.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing in-store retail experiences, prioritize technologies that offer high levels of convenience and foster social presence to create more vivid and engaging consumer interactions, ultimately boosting sales.
What were the main findings?: In-store technologies can be categorized by their level of convenience and social presence.. Higher convenience and social presence in technology lead to increased consumer vividness (involvement, imagery, elaboration).. Enhanced consumer vividness ultimately leads to increased sales.. Consumer traits, product/service dimensions, mental models, and social networks moderate the impact of technology on vividness.
What research method was used?: Conceptual Framework Development.
What should I do differently in my next project?: For a smart fitting room, integrate augmented reality (high social presence) for virtual try-ons and seamless payment options (high convenience). For a smart shelf, use interactive displays (social presence) that provide detailed product information and easy reordering (convenience).
What are the limitations?: This is a conceptual framework, not an empirical study; therefore, the propositions require empirical validation. The specific technologies and their impact will evolve rapidly.