The Flip Side of Hybrid Fashion Retail: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Consumer Vulnerability to In-Store Technology
Abstract
This study investigates the psychological mechanisms leading to resistance to shopping using in-store digital technology in hybrid retail settings, based on the extended Innovation Resistance Model (IRM). It focuses on the cognitive and affective dimensions of fashion consumers’ digital inequalities, particularly perceived digital inadaptability, relative digital exclusion, and frustration. Using a qualitative approach, eight factors influencing digital inequality were identified: technology complexity (TC), lack of digital self-efficacy (LSE), human-machine ambiguity (HMA), inertia (INR), feeling aged (FA), feeling disconnected (FD), technology errors (TE), and human crowdedness (HC). These factors were then empirically tested using quantitative approaches. PLS-SEM results from 588 responses confirmed all antecedents except HMA. The findings provide fashion retailers with insights into the importance of understanding consumer vulnerability and implementing inclusive strategies that address barriers to digital technology by reducing complexity, enhancing ease of use, and maintaining traditional shopping options.
Keywords: consumer vulnerability, digital inequality, digital exclusion, consumer resistance
How to Cite:
Hwang, J. & Youn, S., (2025) “The Flip Side of Hybrid Fashion Retail: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Consumer Vulnerability to In-Store Technology”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 81(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.18693
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