Bridging Digital Product Passports and in-store experiences: How augmented reality enhances decision comfort and reuse intentions

Abstract

The fashion industry is under increasing pressure to adopt more sustainable practices by decoupling its economic growth from negative environmental impacts, as consumers become more environmentally conscious. What is concerning, however, is the significant gap that persists between consumer-reported attitudes and green purchasing behaviors. This study explores the potential of augmented reality (AR) as a communication medium to integrate Digital Product Passports (DPPs) into brick-and-mortar retail, enhancing consumer decision-making and encouraging the reuse of DPPs. With DPPs soon to be mandated for retailers under new sustainability regulations, this research, grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), investigates how information quality and the satisfaction of the AR experience influence decision comfort and subsequent reuse intentions. The findings reveal that both the persuasiveness of information and the satisfaction of the AR experience significantly enhance decision comfort, which in turn strongly predicts reuse intentions. Interestingly, while information persuasiveness positively impacts decision comfort, the completeness of information does not. Additionally, the study highlights that consumer knowledge moderates the relationship between decision comfort and reuse intentions. This research extends the ELM by incorporating decision comfort as a key factor in driving long-term behavioral outcomes and offers actionable insights for retailers. By leveraging AR technology, retailers can create engaging and informative shopping experiences that align with consumer demands for sustainability and ensure compliance with forthcoming environmental regulations.