Decoding the mechanisms of extended reality-enhanced e-commerce on customer engagement: a mixed methodological approach

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of extended reality-enabled e-commerce platforms on centennial customer engagement (CE). With the emergence of extended reality, several challenges are posed to marketers, developers and firms. These challenges concern the future of adequately using these technologies to enhance e-service quality, relationship quality (RQ) and CE. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based research design was employed to analyze a sample of 340 e-commerce users in the study’s conceptual model, which depicted relationships between the constructs. The data is analyzed using a hybrid approach including “partial least squares” and “fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.” Findings The findings support extending reality technologies into the foreseeable future to enhance CE. The data analysis reveals that CE is positively influenced by RQ, RQ is positively influenced by e-service quality and e-service quality is positively influenced by reality congruence (RC). However, the relationship between e-service quality and CE could have been more significant. Mediation analysis illustrates various trials followed from RC to CE by interplaying with different constructs in the model. Practical implications The study provides strategies for marketers and e-commerce website developers. It emphasizes the value of RC as an effective marketing tool to build customer relationships and achieve CE. In particular, understanding the effect of extended reality features as new dimensions to service quality provides new practical insights into consumer behavior in a virtual shopping environment. Originality/value Examining the phenomenon of user experience in an extended reality virtual shopping environment to enhance engagement in centennial consumers is an original approach. It contributes to experience and engagement research in marketing.