This study focused on how retail tech promotes differentiated customer experiences in offline fashion stores. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the characteristics of fashion retail tech stores on consumers’ flow and satisfaction. We surveyed Koreans aged 10 to 50 who had experienced offline fashion retail tech stores. The survey was conducted from April 28, 2023, to May 21, 2023. The total number of survey respondents was 200. The quantitative data collected through questionnaires was analyzed using SPSS 25.0. To reveal the effects of fashion retail tech store characteristics on consumer’s flow and satisfaction, frequency analysis, we conducted frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results of this study, figured out that fashion retail tech store’s characteristics, including playfulness, efficiency, interaction, and information provision, have a significant impact on behavior flow, emotional flow, and satisfaction. As a result of analyzing the influence of consumers’ flow led to satisfaction, it was confirmed that emotional flow positively influenced satisfaction, but behavioral flow had no meaningful effect on satisfaction. The results of our study can be used to make a successful marketing strategy and can serve as foundational data for consumer research on retail-tech-applied offline fashion stores.

Consumer interest in eco-friendly fashion products has been consistent. While most relevant research emphasizes individual morals and environmental concern as the most crucial determinants to eco-friendly consumption behavior, more recent studies point out that in so doing there has been somewhat a neglectance on the importance of fundamental marketing strategies. More specifically, the crucial role of interior colors in fashion retail stores has been managerially considered something certain yet no empirical results have been found to support such a strong managerial assumption. For instance, colors such as green, blue, and brown are believed to represent natural images and are more appropriate to the eco-friendly marketing and the relevant research has been lacking. Therefore, this study attempts to explore the effect of in-store interior design colors (green versus non-green) on consumer perception of green store images. A total of 382 respondents were gathered for an online survey using differing store images as the stimulus and used for testing hypotheses. In the results, respondents exposed to store images using green interior colors reported a higher evaluation of green store image of the store. The effect is found to be significantly moderated by respondent’s environmental concern: to explain, respondents of high environmental concern are less influenced by green color interiors when they evaluate the brand’s eco-friendly image. In sum, the positive influence of green interior colors on green store image is found statistically significant, with its stronger effect for consumers of low concern. Managerial and academic discussions are provided.

Over the last five years the notion of ‘third space’ or ‘place’ has started to become referred to within a retail context (Nobbs & Manlow 2014). Third space is defined by Mikunda (2004: 11) as “somewhere which is not work or home but a comfortable space to browse, relax and meet people, even enjoy a meal”. In the fashion sector there is an increasing trend for retail and culture/leisure activities to be housed in the same space as means of drawing customers into the store and tempting them to stay for longer. However there is a lack of both empirical and conceptual research on this emergent concept (Oldenberg1999). The aim of this study is to investigate the notion of third space in practice from both a brand and consumer perspective with respect to identifying the motives and methods for its adoption. Experiences form an integral part of third space as they activate psychological experience mechanisms (Mikunda 2006). This study will consider the motivations for stakeholders to invest in third space environments using the chosen case study fashion brand Urban Outfitters. This retailer has a history of creating unconventional store formats which blend music, lifestyle and fashion products under one roof. In 2008 they created a development called Space fifteen twenty in Los Angeles which was a curated mix of ownbrand and lifestyle brands and featured food, art, vintage and programme of events aimed at the hipster community. In 2014 they opened a store called Space 98 in Williamsburg in Brooklyn which used the same formula, a carefully selected space with an art gallery, revolving pop up stores and a bar and restaurant (WGSN 2014). The research methodology utilises a qualitative approach in the form of store observations, in-depth interviews with store and head office staff, the architect and also snapshot exit interviews with patrons of the store. The results are audio recorded and analysed using thematic content analysis. The outcome of this exploratory technique will provide a 360 degree perspective of the concept in action. The results of the study will be useful for academics and retail marketing practitioners interested in the impact of store formats on consumer behaviour and brand identity.

Successful use of displays in stores arouses consumers' curiosity, and induces them to purchase a product after a visit. Facade is a word meaning an external front wall of a building, and is usually the first point of visual contact for the consumers. The present study is an empirical investigation of external appearance of a clothing store, with a 2×2×2 factorial design of facade, show window, and wall surface material designed for the purpose of the study. Dependent variables were store image variables and attitude toward store. A total of 320 questionnaires from male and female consumers were used for the analysis. Facade type and material had significant main and interaction effects, while show window type had no meaningful effects overall. A facade of irregular design prompted significantly higher levels of perceived ‘elegance’, ‘uniqueness’, and ‘attractiveness’ of the store. Material itself did not have significant influence but did have significant interaction effect with facade design. The interaction effect was found in store attitude as well. In order to create a positive store attitude, a concrete material facade should have an irregular design. Companies owning fashion brands should carefully select facade type and wall surface material in the visual merchandising strategies of a store.

According to the development of information technology (IT) and new media, customers’ needs have changed to seek not only high quality goods but also a differentiated service in retail stores (Lee & Shin, 2011). For this reason, fashion retail stores started to provide an interesting service by setting up an IT machine or a gadget in the stores. Thereby, customers can get the information or have a special experience while they shop fashion goods. IT shopping service is defined as using technology in retail stores to enhance interaction between retailers and customers. Retailers have tried several types of IT shopping services, which offer information or experience with a high or low level of technology. Informative IT shopping service provides various and useful information, which is related to each product such as size, color, contents, stock, location and fashion styling. Retailers use experiential IT shopping service as an emotional appeal that gives direct experience to customers in some way or other such as watching or acting in a virtual situation. Also, as technology develops, IT shopping services are embodied with diverse technology that are simple or complexity. Some are easy to use with one button and shows 2D images only, but some have a lot of contents such as video clips, SNS share service, showing 3D images, and implementing augment reality. We saw customer responses on the attributes of IT shopping service (informative vs. experimental) x technology level of IT shopping service (high vs. low) x fashion innovativeness/technology innovativeness (high vs. low) This study aims to see the effect of the attributes of IT shopping service and the level of technology on procedure satisfaction and outcome satisfaction, and the moderating effect of perceived enjoyment and perceived complexity. Furthermore, this study will see whether these effects affect visit intention. In this study, the experimental design was adopted as the main methodology, and a total of four stimuli types were selected: 1) informative x high technology 2) informative x low technology 3) experiential x high technology 4) experiential x low technology. The common element, which all types of stimuli have, is a digital touch screen since it is a general equipment nowadays, and the common fashion good for all types is a black blazer. The type of informative service only has the information (size range, color assortment, contents, stock) about selected fashion good with its image. High technology in informative service shows the image with 3D simulation that can help to see 360° of the blazer, and styling tips including a video clip. Moreover, it helps to share the information with friends via SNS. Low technology in informative service only shows a front side of the blazer and presents a store map for customers to find a product they want to try. The types of experiential service draw customer participation providing a picture of customers that are trying on clothes. Experiential service use augment reality (AR) as a high technology and take the back side of customers picture as low technology. For the manipulation check, 18 graduate students in total viewed for each type, and the total sample comprises 387 college students via survey instrument. All hypotheses were tested using AMOS and SPSS 18.0. The main findings of this study are as follows: depending on type of the attributes of IT shopping service and the level of technology affect perceived enjoyment and perceived complexity differently, and there were significant mediating effect of perceived variables toward IT shopping service on procedure satisfaction, outcome satisfaction, and visit intention. Implications for usefulness and role of the IT shopping service in fashion retail stores are provided. And also, limitation of this study and future study are suggested.