Virtual Try-On to Post-Purchase Satisfaction: Exploring the Consumer Experience in Online Retail

The rise of e-commerce has revolutionized the entire process of shopping globally as the increased rate has ensured consumers unprecedented ease, convenience, and accessibility to a plethora of products. Therefore, as suggested, one of the benefits of e-commerce has been its ability to allow consumers to access a plethora of products at anytime as online stores have removed boundaries in the form of geographical location, as may have been a constraint in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. However, as observed, a plethora of other attributes, such as increased internet, smartphone, digital payments, etc., have ensured that e-shops have become an integral part of consumer culture, especially younger generations globally. Despite the aforementioned, there are certain challenges that the expansion of e-commerce poses to the satisfaction of consumer needs. Among the critical challenges facing the expansion of e-commerce is the lack of physical contact with the product before purchasing. Generally, when one intends to purchase a product, they touch the product and also get a better feeling for the quality of the product by trying and touching the product. Due to the lack of such opportunities when purchasing through the internet, there is a high risk or uncertainty regarding the product, especially experience-driven product categories such as fashion, beautifying, shoes, and lifestyle.