Consumer acceptance of self-service technologies in fashion retail stores

Purpose The purpose of this study was to update the fashion retail literature with an investigation of consumers' perceptions of in-store self-service technology (SST) and their willingness to adopt SST for fashion purchases. Specifically, this study examined the relationships between technology readiness (TR), individual characteristics and the perceived pragmatic and hedonic qualities of SST. Design/methodology/approach A web-based survey was distributed to Korean consumers who had experience with in-store technologies. A two-step analysis including confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was applied. Findings Both pragmatic and hedonic perceptions had significant impacts on acceptance of SST for fashion shopping. As for the roles of TR, innovativeness and optimism inherent in TR enhanced consumer perceptions of SST, while discomfort and insecurity did not. Originality/value This study extends the knowledge of consumer acceptance of SSTs in fashion retail by highlighting the need to consider hedonic qualities and examining the different roles of each TR dimension for a full understanding of SST acceptance.