Work

Managing in-store shopping disruptions with technology: the impact of self-service technology on consumer control and decision comfort

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Shoppers often encounter in-store disruptions that can undermine the shopping experience. This research examines how self-service technologies in physical retail stores can support customers in these moments by increasing perceived control and decision comfort. We further examine the moderating role of technology self-efficacy, with stronger benefits observed among customers with greater confidence in their ability to use technology. Across five studies, we demonstrate that using self-service technology to resolve in-store shopping disruptions increases perceived control, which in turn enhances decision comfort, and that this effect is stronger when technology self-efficacy is higher. Implications for theory, retail practice, and future research are provided.

Source: Journal of Business Research

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115952

Authors: Dominique Braxton, Eric Spangenberg, Cornelia Pechmann, David Sprott

Institutions: Loyola Marymount University, University of California, Irvine, Claremont Graduate University

Language: English

Topic: Consumer Retail Behavior Studies

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,440

Funder: National Institutes of Health