Augmented reality: Consumer saviour or disruptive agent in the retail power pendulum?

Abstract

Augmented reality has been hailed as a saviour for consumers, offering them more information, power and control over their decision-making. However, most research to date has overlooked any implications AR might have for manufacturers and retailers in their struggle to gain control in the retail paradigm. This paper provides a review of existing literature and provides compelling evidence that AR has the potential to be used by different stakeholders in the retail environment for their advantage. It outlines future scenarios, a number of propositions and research issues related to these challenges.