Motivation for the Special Issue:
Retailing is constantly evolving. While much emphasis has been placed on omnichannel retailing and online retailing, physical stores remain an important channel for retailers to focus on. Physical stores allow buyers and sellers to come together in a tactile environment where customers encounter the brand and interact with employees and other customers (Bruegelmans et al. 2023). There are many reasons that customers visit physical stores including discovery, convenience, customization, community, and shoppertainment (Breugelmans et al. 2023).
Each of the reasons that customers visit stores can be impacted by in-store technologies. In-store technologies help remove friction thus enhancing the experience for customers, as well as enhancing efficiency in terms of cost, effort and time savings (Grewal et al. 2023). While retail technology can impact different stages of the customer journey (Hoyer et al. 2020; Roggeveen and Sethuraman 2020), its impact is not limited to customers. It can also impact employees and brands. For example, in-store technology can impact employee training, internal store operations and aid with helping customers (Grewal et al. 2023). In terms of brands, in-store technology can allow brands to create customized experiences for customers at point-of-purchase.
While several articles have focused on providing typologies to discuss the breadth and depth of retail technologies (Grewal et al. 2020; Inman and Nikolova 2017; Roggeveen and Sethuraman 2020), research is needed that delves into the applications and impacts of these technologies in stores. While some research has begun discussing the impact of specific technologies (e.g., clusters of technology, Hoyer et al. 2020; AI-enabled technologies, Davenport et al. 2020; Guha et al. 2021; robots, van Doorn et al. 2017), more empirical research is required to examine the impacts of technologies in retail and service setting on customers, employees, and brands. For example, the consumer impacts may be cognitive, sensory, emotional, or social. The business impacts may be managerial or operational. The brand impacts may be consumer involvement with or impressions of the brand.
In this special issue, we seek to publish cutting-edge scholarly research that examines the changing landscape of retailing in terms of in-store technologies. Questions can be studied from the perspective of consumers, retailers, or brands. While the empirical approach taken may vary, it is critical that the research build from relevant theory and existing research while offering a rigorous analysis. Research documenting actual marketplace behavior, through field studies, is especially welcome.
Areas of interest for this special section might include but are not limited to the following:
How in-store technologies help retailers ensure that their products are sold in a timely manner in order to reduce waste?
How can in-store technologies be used for shoppertainment?
What is the impact of technology on the community aspect of in-store retail experiences?
What are the implications of consumers and employees being able to customize products and other in-store experiences?
How do in-store technologies allow customers to discover products and services? For which types of products and services are in-store technologies more important, and why?
How can technology enhance the sensory experiences of customers in store?
What is the impact of replacing service personnel with technology on consumer perceptions and employee motivations?
How might robots change the in-store experience, and why?