The purpose of this study was to identify users’ usage factors of AR fashion mobile applications, and empirically analyzed their effect on the users’ intention to purchase fashion items, using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) of Venkatesh et al. (2003). Additionally, the variables for AR characteristics (presence and interactivity) and immersion were added, their correlation with users’ intention to purchase fashion items were identified, and the moderating effect of AR experience on the relationship between the variables were examined. For this study, an online survey was carried out through a specific AR fashion mobile application. The participants included 215 men and women in their 20s and 30s. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0.
The results of this study could be summarized as follows. First, among the key variables of the UTAUT, performance expectancy and social influence were found to have a positive(+) influence on the intention to purchase fashion items, while effort expectancy and facilitating conditions had no significant effect. The more the users perceived the efficiency of the AR fashion mobile application, such as by shortening shopping time, the higher the chances of the users’ intention to purchase fashion items. Additionally, the support and acknowledgement by users’ influencers on the use of AR fashion mobile applications increased their intention to purchase fashion items. However, effort expectancy, such as usage simplicity and convenience, and the level of operational and technical infrastructure, facilitating the use of new technology, were not factors that directly influence users’ intention to purchase fashion items.
Second, it was found that among the AR characteristics, presence positively(+) influenced immersion, while interactivity did not significantly influence immersion. This showed that there was a close correlation between the sense of reality and immersion experienced in the AR environment. However, it could be concluded that interactivity did not significantly affect immersion because the level of influence can differ depending on the nature of AR technology, and the application usage time and active attitude of the users.
Third, it was found that presence and interactivity did not significantly influence the users’ intention to purchase fashion items. This study has confirmed that presence has a positive influence on immersion, and the resulting immersion influences users’ intention to purchase fashion items. Thus, presence and interactivity have little direct influence on the users’ intention to purchase fashion items, and the need for a variable that can play a mediating role was apparent.
Fourth, immersion had a positive(+) influence on users’ intention to purchase fashion items. Due to the presence experienced through the use of AR fashion mobile applications, it was found that the higher the immersion, the higher the intention to purchase fashion items.
Lastly, the analysis of the moderating effect according to a group with AR experience and a group without, showed that, effort expectancy variables of UTAUT had a statistically significant but negative influence on the users’ intention to purchase fashion items in the group without AR experience than in the group with it. For the group without AR experience, even if using the AR fashion mobile applications were thought to be simple and easy, their intention to purchase fashion items using the applications did not increase but decreased.
The AR experience or the lack thereof had a moderating effect on the relationship between AR characteristics (presence and interactivity) and immersion. In the group with AR experience, the more the virtually worn item feels real, the higher the level of immersion felt, through AR fashion mobile applications. However, interactivity was found to have a greater influence on immersion for the group without AR experience than the group with AR experience.
This study has an academic significance as it uses an expanded UTAUT model that adds AR characteristics (presence and interactivity) and immersion as variables to empirically analyze users’ intention to purchase fashion items by using an AR fashion mobile application that is currently commercially available in Korea. This study also provides practical implications for establishing marketing strategies for fashion retailers and fashion brands that wish to apply AR technology as it confirms the influence of virtual fitting of fashion items on users’ intention to buy fashion items, through AR fashion mobile applications.