Phygital pop-up stores: Measuring immersion, novelty, and post-visit purchase behavior using eye-tracking and biometrics

Phygital pop-up stores hybrid retail environments fusing physical spaces with digital layers represent an accelerating frontier in contemporary retailing. However, the precise cognitive mechanisms through which these sensor-driven environments translate immediate sensory engagement into durable long-term consumer choices remain under-theorized. Drawing upon the Technology Acceptance Model, Expectation Confirmation Theory, and Trust Theory, this study develops an integrated model positioning consumer trust as a critical mediator between phygital experiential antecedents and downstream purchasing commitments. Primary data were collected from 612 adult consumers across the United Kingdom and Australia via a stratified intercept sampling protocol. Objective measures of consumer immersion were captured using eye-tracking metrics and galvanic skin response indices embedded within a structured self-report survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) reveals that while immersive experiences, novelty, interactivity, and enjoyment associate positively with retrospective post-visit purchase behavior within a 30-day window (R 2 = 0.482), consumer trust functions as the dominant direct predictor (β = 0.274, p < 0.001) and an essential gatekeeper mediating the immersion–purchase pathway. Multi-group analysis indicates that tech experience significantly moderates immersion and interactivity tracks, whereas gender exhibits structural invariance. This biometrically validated framework offers strategic resource-allocation priorities for experiential retail developers.