From immersion to engagement: unpacking the mechanisms of augmented reality in online fashion retail

Despite the growing adoption of augmented reality (AR) in online fashion retail, limited understanding exists regarding how specific AR features influence different dimensions of customer engagement behavior (CEB). Addressing this gap, this study examines the effects of key AR features—realism, interactivity, personalization, and usability—on participation, advocacy, and co-creation behaviors. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response framework and flow theory, this study investigates the mediating role of psychological immersion and the moderating role of self-regulatory focus. Using survey data from 865 consumers in China, and Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling, the findings reveal that AR features significantly enhance consumers’ psychological immersion, which in turn strengthens advocacy and co-creation behaviors. While AR features also directly influence multiple engagement dimensions, their effects vary across behavioral outcomes. Psychological immersion serves as a key explanatory mechanism linking AR features to engagement. This study contributes by conceptualizing CEB as a multidimensional construct and by demonstrating that AR features operate through differentiated psychological pathways. By integrating psychological immersion and self-regulatory focus, the findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how and under what conditions AR drives customer engagement in online fashion retail.