Immersive Assurance in Digital Retail: A Conceptual Framework on How Augmented Reality Virtual Try-Ons Reduce Purchase Uncertainty and Return Intentions

Nitu Sharma; Mariya Nikitha

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.78843

Immersive Assurance in Digital Retail: A Conceptual Framework on How Augmented Reality Virtual Try-Ons Reduce Purchase Uncertainty and Return Intentions

Author(s)	Dr. Nitu Sharma, Ms. Mariya Nikitha
Country	India
Abstract	The rapid expansion of e-commerce has significantly transformed consumer purchasing behavior, yet the inability to physically evaluate products continues to create uncertainty during online decision-making. Consumers frequently struggle to assess important product attributes such as fit, appearance, and suitability through static images or textual descriptions, which often leads to hesitation during purchase and higher product return intentions. Although online retailers increasingly adopt immersive technologies, limited conceptual research has examined how such tools influence consumer confidence and decision certainty in digital retail environments. This paper develops a conceptual framework explaining how augmented reality (AR)-based virtual try-on technologies can reduce purchase uncertainty and minimise return intentions in online retail. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model, Perceived Risk Theory, and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, the framework proposes that AR-enabled visualization allows consumers to virtually experience products before purchasing, thereby improving product evaluation and compatibility assessment. The model highlights key psychological mechanisms-perceived risk reduction, enhanced product visualization, and increased decision confidence-that collectively contribute to stronger purchase assurance and a lower likelihood of product returns. The framework introduces AR quality and individual consumer characteristics as moderators of the proposed pathway and identifies a three-dimensional decomposition of purchase uncertainty-functional, evaluative, and fit-as a conceptual refinement with implications for scale development. The proposed framework provides theoretical guidance for future empirical research and offers practical implications for e-commerce platforms seeking to design technology-enabled retail environments that reduce both consumer uncertainty and the operational and environmental costs of product returns.
Keywords	: augmented reality; virtual try-on technology; purchase uncertainty; perceived risk reduction; consumer confidence; return intentions; online retail JEL Classification: M31; L81; D91; O33
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-18
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.78843

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 3 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Immersive Assurance in Digital Retail: A Conceptual Framework on How Augmented Reality Virtual Try-Ons Reduce Purchase Uncertainty and Return Intentions

Share this