The effect of 3D virtual garment presentation on the ...

AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE

AMSTERDAM FASHION INSTITUTE

The effect of 3D virtual garment presentation on the consumer experience in brick and mortar stores.

Bachelor thesis in Fashion and Technology

Kim Schoenmakers 500700670 International Fashion & Management Lisette Vonk & Hein Daanen 14-06-2018

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Disclaimer 1.

This report, as part of the graduation project aimed at attaining the BA title from the Amsterdam

University of Applied Sciences, has been written and/or compiled solely by me.

2.

This project report (or any amended form of it) has never before been submitted by me or anyone

else in the framework of a learning assignment aimed at the attainment of a certificate or degree,

within the AMFI programme or elsewhere.

3.

The work that was necessary for the realisation of this project was performed entirely by me. All the

data that have been collected are original.

4.

All quotes from other sources are recognisable in the report by quotation marks and the sources of

all my information have specifically been indicated.

Date : 14th of June, 2018 Place : Amersfoort Name : Kim Schoenmakers Signature ___________________________________

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Acknowledgement I would like to express my gratitude towards my coach Lisette Vonk for her valuable and constructive guidance throughout the entire process, which helped me complete my research. Also, I would like to thank Marlies Reukers, Jelle van Garderen, and Ahmed Tyghri who made it possible for me to execute the empirical research and the evaluators/respondents for their contribution to this study.


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Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the effect of 3D virtual garment presentation on consumer experience in brick and mortar stores. Additionally, consumers’ perspective on the replacement of physcical garment by digital garment in-store is taking into account. Data were gathered from 182 respondents using two methodologies. For both methodologies, the same questionnaire was filled out. The respondends were devided into five groups all testing a different technologie through which 3D virtual garments were presented; a fitting mirror, a holographic shopping window, a 2D touchscreen, marker-based Augmented Reality, and Virtual Reality. Results indicate that 3D virtual garment presentation has a possitive effect on the sensory and behavioural dimension of consumer experience. Overall, consumers have a very positive feeling towards 3D virtual garment presentation and would be willing to buy their garments through one of the presented technologies. Virtual Reality was perceived as most inviting, exciting, and interesting. The information obtained in this study contributes to the existing academic knowledge as it adds findings that incoroporate recent technical developments of 3D virtual garment presentation. Furthermore, suggestions for further research are given based on the limitations of this research aimed to investigate extensive explanations for the results. Keywords: 3D Virtual garment presentation, brick and mortar stores, consumer experience.

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Table of content Abstract IV List of tables and figures

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List of definitions and abbreviations

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Introduction

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1. 3D Garment presentation 10

1.1. 3D Virtual garments within marketing and communication, and sales

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1.2. 3D Virtual presenation technologies 11 2. Consumer experience 13 2.1. Dimensions of shopping experience 13

2.2. Virtual Product Experience 14

3. Testing consumer experience

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3.1. Methods 16

3.2. Results 18

3.3. Conclusion from consumer perspective 22 4. Discussion

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5. Conclusion

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Reference

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Appendix

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A- Test plan 32 B- Data analysis 39


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List of tables and figures Table 1 - Overview of defined consumer experience components previous research Table 2 - Measurement framework Table 3 - Descriptive statistics categorial data Figure 1 - Process 3D virtual garment creation in Clo3D Figure 2 - Virtual garment presented in a virtual environment Figure 3 - Marker-based AR Figure 4 - Zara augmented reality shopping window (2018) Figure 5 - Descriptive statistics control variables Figure 6 - Positive reactions on O1 Figure 7 - Nonpositive reactions on O1 Figure 8 - Missing aspects of virtual garments Figure 9 - Mean and SD question AUT1 Figure 10 - P-value comparison AUT1 with AUT2 Figure 11 - Mean and SD AUT1 and PI1 marker-based AR Figure 12 - Mean and SD question EV2

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Definitions and abbreviations 3D -------------------------------------- Three Dimensional 3D VP --------------------------------- Three Dimensional Virtual Prototyping AR -------------------------------------- Augmented Reality Aural ---------------------------------- Relating to the ear or the sense of hearing. AUT ------------------------------------ Authenticity B&M ----------------------------------- Brick and Mortar Between-subject design ------ An experiment that has two or more groups of subjects each being tested by

a different testing factor simultaneously

Brick and mortar store --------- Physical presence of an organization or business in a building or other structure C --------------------------------------- Control CAD ----------------------------------- Computer Aided Design Co-creation ------------------------ A form of economic strategy, that brings different parties together (for istance,

a company and a group of customers), in order to jointly produce a mutually

valued outcome Correlation -------------------------- A mutual relationship or connection between two or more things CX ------------------------------------- Consumer Experience EV -------------------------------------- Experimental Value Haptic -------------------------------- Relating to the sense of touch, in particular relating to the perception and ma-

nipulation of objects using the senses of touch and proprioception.

Immersion --------------------------- Deep mental involvement in something ITT -------------------------------------- Interactive Image Technology Kurtosis ------------------------------- Reflects the characteristics of the tails of a distribution Likert-scale ------------------------- A scale used to represent people’s attitudes to a topic O --------------------------------------- Other PI --------------------------------------- Purchase Intention QR code ----------------------------- A machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares,

typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera

on a smartphone. Senses ------------------------------- A faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus; one of the facul

ties of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.

Sensory ------------------------------ Relating to sensation or the physical senses; transmitted or perceived by the senses. Skewness ---------------------------- Reflects the asymmetry of a distribution SQ -------------------------------------- Service Quality VPE ------------------------------------- Virtual Product Experience VR -------------------------------------- Virtual Reality


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Introduction The use of advanced technology in the world is increasing and the fashion industry is not staying behind (Cascio, W; Montealegre, R. 2016). One of these technologies is three-dimensional (3D) virtual garment creation which replaces the conventional way of product design, development and merchandising by replacing physical prototypes by 3D virtual prototypes. Companies such as adidas, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger embrace this technological development and implemented it for several reasons such as the advantage of 3D technology to support and streamline the entire end-to-end process, making the process fast, less costly, and delivering higher quality even more efficiently (Papahristou, E. 2017). Within design, development, and merchandising the line between online and offline is disappearing. This is also the case within the marketing and communication, and sales phase of a product (Walsh, 2016). As technology is rapidly evolving, and consumers are looking for new experiences in order to extract more value, companies are focussing on ways to integrate multiple channels within one experience meaning that they are moving from a multi-channel approach to an omnichannel approach (Carroll and Guzmán, 2015). This means synergetic management of the channels and customers touch points, geared towards optimizing the holistic experience (Verhoef et al. 2015). Confronted with the growing competition from purely online retailers, the brick and mortar (B&M) stores are facing an identity crisis (The Economist, 2016) and are expected to change. Joseph Pine (2016) argues that retail will be digitally infused. “Virtual Reality devices will be used in stores to show off merchandise that is not there physically. Augmented Reality will be used to let people interact with, and learn more about, merchandise that is there physically” (Joseph Pine, B. 2016). As the most pressing problem of the fashion industry is overstock (Kerr, J. & Landry, J. 2017), these technologies also creates opportunities to reduce dead stock by offering tools to show off merchandise that is not there physically. This means in the context of the fashion industry, replacing physical garments by 3D virtual garments. However, it is the question how ready consumers are for this change. A recent study on ‘reasons choosing to shop in-store vs online’ found that the possibility to see, touch, feel, try on, and immediately take home are the main drivers for consumers to still shop in-store (Retail Dive, 2017). What should be considered is that there has been little research done on the consumer perception and experience of 3D virtual garments. Besides, there are a few studies (Algharabat & Zamil, 2013; Jiang & Benbasat, 2005; Moritz, 2010; Lee et al, 2005; Li et al, 2002) focusing on the use of virtual technologies as an online selling tool, but not on the use of virtual technologies in B&M stores. It is, therefore, necessary to research consumer experience of 3D virtual garments in B&M stores in order to define if physical can be replaced with digital. The research question is: How does 3D virtual garment presentation affect the consumer experience in brick and mortar stores? The aim of this report is to identify the effect of different technologies of 3D virtual garment presentation on consumer experience and understand the potential that retailers have in using them to enhance their services and operations in B&M stores. The research can be read in order to receive information on scope and potential of 3D virtual garments and to learn about its strategic implementation. This can be of practical use for companies, which desire to make first steps into 3D virtual garment presentation or further assist apparel companies that already implemented 3D virtual garment presentation technologies and aspire to optimize their strategy. The final product will take the conducted research as a foundation to issue a business plan.

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Structure and methodology Chapter 1 aims to seek a deeper understanding of 3D virtual garments and current implementation within marketing and communication, and sales. An extensive explanation of technologies used for 3D virtual garment presentation is given including example cases of current application. Chapter 2 focusses on consumer experience (CX) and its context. After a general definition of CX, this chapter focusses on dimensions influencing CX, explained in the context of consumer shopping experience. Also, virtual product experience (VPE) is introduced and previous findings on VPE are discussed. For the described two chapters, literature search is carried out using amongst others; Research Gate, Google Scholar, Uva Scripties Online and Wiley Online Library using the search terms like 3D virtual prototyping, 3D virtual garments, virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D product experience, CX, experience dimensions, brick and mortar and offline. The sub-questions answered in the first two chapters are:

What is 3D virtual garment presentation?

What is consumer experience?

Chapter 3 includes the test plan and test evaluation of 3D virtual garment presentation technologies. In order to analyse the effect on CX within the empirical section, a measurement framework is created from the theoretical knowledge gained. In order to test all available presentation technologies, there is made use of two different methodologies. The technologies VR, 2D touchscreen, and marker-based AR are tested by using Marlies Reukers, Fashion Design graduate at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, her digital and physical collection EASE UP (2018). During the tests, evaluators are observed and are asked to fill out a short questionnaire afterwards. The technologies projection-based AR and superimposition-based AR are tested through online questionnaires. A video of the specific technology is shown whereafter evaluators were asked to fill out a questionnaire with the questions written in an ‘expected’ form. The questionnaire is spread through social media e.g. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn with the aim to receive as many responses as possible. For both methodologies, a between-subject design is employed using the convenience sampling method. The exact method is further explained in chapter 3 and the specific test protocol and the questionnaire used can be found in Appendix A. The sub-questions answered are:

How can consumer experience be measured?

How do consumers experience different forms of 3D virtual garment presentation?

The results from chapter 3, complementing to the theories discussed in chapter 1 and 2, are further discussed in chapter 4 together with limitations and future research suggestions. Chapter 5 presents the conclusion.


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1. 3D Virtual garment presentation A 3D virtual garment specifies a three-dimensional visualisation of a garment in a three-dimensional environment. The creation of 3D garments is done through the use of computer-aided design (CAD) programs which enables the stitching of 2D digital patterns into a 3D garment and enables the positioning of the garment around a three-dimensional virtual model of the human body (Decaudin et al, 2006; Cugini & Rizzi, 2002; Stjepanovic et al, 2010; Volino et al, 2005; Wang & Tang, 2010). Within literature (Wang, 2002), 3D virtual garments are also referred to as 3D virtual prototypes. As Wang (2002) describes a 3D virtual prototype “a computer simulation of a physical product that can be presented, analyzed, and tested from concerned product life-cycle aspects such as design/engineering, manufacturing, service, and recycling as if on a real physical model” (Wang, 2002). However, prototypes refer to the stage in which the garment is still in development whereas garments refer to the stages in which the garment is final.

Figure 1: Process 3D virtual garment creation in Clo3D

Source: Kim Schoenmakers(2018)

Within the architecture and automotive industry, 3D virtual prototyping has been used since the 90s (Wang, 2002, Schröder, 2013, Siersema, 2013). The fashion industry, however, is a late adaptor of the technology. This is because simulating a dynamic garment is more complex compared to a static object as for example a building (Stjepanovic e.a., 2015, Volino e.a. 2013). Within the fashion industry, one has to deal with a complicated fit, textile drape, and garment construction. Because of a fast technological development in the film- and gaming industry, garments could ultimately be presented in a dynamic way showing the behaviour of the garment when worn (Wallace, 2009). Many fashion companies are now using specific virtual garment creation and simulation software such as Human Solutions Group, Browzwear, Lectra, Clo3D, and Optitex (Human-solution.com; browszwear.com; lectra.com; clo3d.com; optitex.com). Human Solutions Group, Optitex and Lectra cover various sectors such as automotive and interior next to fashion. In contrast, Clo3D and Browzwear focus on 3D clothing industry only. Clo3D, the youngest of the named providers offers besides virtual prototyping software also virtual mirror and virtual fashion show tools.

1.1 3D virtual garments within marketing & communications and sales Throughout the product lifecycle, there can be found advantages of 3D virtual garments such as a shorter sampling process, saving money, energy and effort (Chittaro, L. & Corvaglia, D. 2003; Papahristou, E. 2017), and better communication during production, increase the change for more precise and correct produced garments (Papahristou, E. 2017; McCann, J. 2012). However, there are also disadvantages of technology such as letting go the system companies trust (Papahristou, E. 2017) and cybersecurity (de Bruijn & Janssen 2017). Implementing 3D product visualisation within marketing & communication and sales give companies the opportunity to offer the consumer and/or client an interactive and immersive shopping experience (Forni, 2017). 10




This can be done through digital product presentation in-store or an optimal product experience in e-commerce. The product can for example, through 3D body-scanning, be digitally fitted (Knit for You, adidas. 2017; Essence fantasy mirror, Triumpf. 2012; Magic Mirror, Uniqlo. 2013). Also, when focussing on co-creation1, 3D virtualization makes it easy and accessible for consumers to become part of the creation process (Knit for You, adidas. 2017; Leib, G. My Suit interview 2018). However, cybersecurity and data protection of the consumer is a big point of discussion (de Bruijn & Janssen 2017). Also, the human desire to touch, smell, and feel the physical garments before purchasing can be seen as a limitation (MCcabe & Nowlis, 2003 ).

1.2 3D virtual presentation technologies Looking at recent applications of 3D virtual garment presentation (process book, 4-5), several technologies such as VR and different forms of AR have been defined which are explained and elaborated on in this section. Virtual reality (VR) describes a computer simulation of a system, which allows users to perform operations and actions to the virtual prototype while at the same time providing sensorial feedback, e.g. haptic and aural feedback, to the user of the VR system (Wang 2002). Bamodu and Ye (2013) categorize VR into non-immersive, semi-immersive, and immersive. This means that VR can be categorized according to the amount of immersion, meaning the extend to which one is mentally involved in something. According to Rouse (2016) conformance to human vision, continuity of surrounding, freedom of movement, narrative engagement, and 3D audio add to the immersion. With VR on desktop computers or a 2D touchscreen, shoppers can rotate, zoom in and out, and change the colour or context of the products they are viewing (Klein, 2003; Li, Daugherty, & Biocca, 2002). An example of such a brand offering 3D virtualized products on their website is Atacac (figure 2). The garment can be rotated and can be zoomed in or out. This website does not give you the possibility to change product characteristics (atacac.com). Tommy Hilfiger and My.Suit also offer 360-degree garment experiences. Both companies allow the user to adjust colours or garment specifics. However, while Tommy Hilfiger focusses on retailers showing them their product ranges, My.Suit focusses on the end consumer allowing them to personalise their suits.

Figure 2: Virtual garment presented in a virtual environment

Source: Atacac, 2017

The presentation of an artificial environment that replaces users’ real-world surroundings convincingly enough that they are able to suspend disbelief and fully engage with the created environment can be described as immersive VR (Rouse, M. 2016). According to Rouse, a user should be able to interact with objects in the virtual environment similar to the way they do with real-life ones in order to increases the immersion of the experience. This also includes haptic feedback in order to replicate the feel of a real-world interaction. Examples of immersive VR within the fashion industry are Buy+ from Alibaba (2017) and the virtual department store from eBay providing Myer’s (2016) product range. Those companies do not offer haptic feedback during the virtual reality experience but show a store layout in which garment can be grabbed, evaluated and directly purchased. 1 Refer to abbreviation and termonology list for explanation.


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Augmented reality (AR) is a real-time view of physical real-world surroundings that has been enhanced by adding virtual computer-generated digital information to it (Furht, 2014). Within the fashion industry, three different types of AR have been applied. Marker-based AR uses a camera and some type of visual marker (e.g. QR1/2D code). When the marker is sensed by a reader (e.g. camera), the position and orientation are calculated and the marker is overlayed with some type of content and/or information. An example user within the fashion industry of marker-based AR is Nike (2017). By pointing your smartphone Figure 3: Marker-based AR

Source: Marlies Reukers (2018)

camera on a specific campaign sticker, a 3D model of the advertised shoe came up. Also, Marlies Reuker enables one to view individual garments of her collection EASE UP (2018) three dimensional, having an individual marker for each garment(Figure 3). Another form of AR is sensor-based AR, which can also be called location-based or position-based AR. Using a GPS the device provides data based on your location. Recently, Zara used a form or sensor-based AR allowing Figure 4: Zara augmented reality shopping window (2018)

shoppers to see virtual models wearing cer- Source: Marie Claire (2018) tain items of virtual clothing in the shopping window (Figure 4). Shoppers get access by using the Zara AR application which also allows customers to click through to buy the clothes. Additionally, they can easily browse other outfits or review similar products without having to step into the store (Marie Claire, 2018). Projection based AR works by projecting artificial light onto real-world surfaces (Reality Technologies, 2018). An interesting application of projection based AR are holographic, created by laser plasma technology. An example of the application within the fashion industry is Paul Smiths ‘window that never sleeps’. (Paul Smith, 2015). The interactive holographic display enables one passing by the shopping window to select a garment. Watching the suits move offers a nearly 360-degree visualisation of the suits and their fitting. Also, Nike (2013) adapted this technology with their holographic 3D advertising campaign displaying their sneakers on special street signs in Amsterdam. Superimposition based AR can replace either partial or the full original view of an object with a newly augmented view of that same object. Using motion caption techniques, virtual elements are shown superimposed over the real image of a person as if they were really wearing the garment. Examples of brands using this technology are Uniqlo, Triumpf, and adidas Knit For You. With a so-called magic mirror, Uniqlo (2013) and Adidas (Knit for you, 2017) both enabled their consumers to adjust the outlook of the specific garment a consumer was physically wearing. Triumpf (2012) applied the technology to enable their consumers to fit lingerie without having to take clothes off. The Fantasy Mirror from Triumpf used a motion sensor camera attached to a screen and 3D infra-red technology to scan the body in order to create a female 1 QR code: a machine-readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone.

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2. Consumer Experience A consumer experience consists out of a set of direct or indirect interactions between a customer and a product, a company or part of its organization (Gentil, Spiller & Noci, 2007; Meyer & Schwager 2007). Direct interaction generally occurs during purchase, use, and service and are usually initiated by the customer. Indirect interaction is most often unplanned in the form of advertising and reviews (Meyer and Schwager 2007, p. 118). The consumers evaluation of the experience depends on expectation and stimuli coming from the interaction with the company and its offerings. Also, the different moments of contact or touch-points influence the evaluation of the CX. (Gentil, Spiller & Noci, 2007, p. 397). The experience involves dimensions, also called components, which either can or can not be controlled by the retailer and influence the CX (Verhoef et al, 2009). Many well known researchers (O’sullivan & Spangler, 1998; Pine & Gilmore, 1999&2011; Pinker, 1997; Dube & LeBel, 2001;Schmitt, 1999; Brakus, 2009; Gentile, Spiller & Noci, 2007) did research on the components of CX. Table 1 gives an overview of the names dimensions per researcher(s). From this literature review, it can be concluded that sensory, emotional, intellectual, social, and behavioural dimensions are most often named as the components of CX. These components will be explained with a specific focus on retail and taken into consideration when analyzing empirical data.

Table 1 - Overview defined consumer experience components previous research.

Source: Authors visualisation

Within consumer retail experience, there are four different research directions within consumer retail experience: product-, service-, brand-, and consumption experience (Bruhn and Hadwich, 2012). Leischnig, Schwerfeger and Enke (2012) also named shopping experience. Within this research, there will be looked at shopping- and product experience. Considering that, in today’s omnichannel environment, customers’ experiences in B&M stores may be affected by experiences among other channels offering different touch-points (e.g., Konus, Verhoef, and Neslin 2008; Neslin et al. 2006; van Birgelen, de Jong, and de Ruyter 2006) the focus is on both offline and online retail channels. 2.1. Dimensions of shopping experience Dziewanowska (2015) did an extensive research on shopping experience naming various factors influencing the dimension of the shopping experience. Her findings on both the online and offline shopping experience are used to elaborate on the dimensions of CX defined before. The sensory dimension relates to the absorption of stimuli through the sense organs. This dimension is suitable for deploying well-being, excitement, and satisfaction in the customer. For in-store situations, this can be done by stimulating the customer’s senses such as hearing, touching, seeing, smelling, and tasting. Therefore, tempBack to table of content

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erature, spacial and human crowding, lighting, retail atmosphere, and merchandising can have an impact on the sensory involvement. For the online sensory experience aspects such as store website, sound, visual presentation and interactivity, personalisation of store website, interactivity, and web atmosphere play an important role. Emotional dimension also called affective dimension, includes emotions, mood, and attitudes of the customer (Bagozzi, et al., 1999; Burns & Neisner, 2006). A relationship with an offer, a company or a brand can lead to positive emotions. Emotions are studied both as an input (before shopping situation), as well as output (an effect of the purchasing process). This counts for both offline and online. Intellectual dimension also referred to as cognitive dimension, targets the intellect of customers and addresses their faculty of thought. Aspects stimulated by this dimension for in-store shopping include the customers’ problem-solving behaviour and creativity in thinking. For online, searching and processing information, and research on information quality is mentioned. Social dimension, also referred to as the relational dimension, focuses on the relevant social context of an experience. It thereby considers a person’s relationship with other social actors as well as the person’s ideal self. Dziewanowska (2015) divides it in relation to employees and relationships with other people. Interaction with employees, customer service quality, and the influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty are seen as strong influencers of an in-store shopping experience. For the online experience, the real and perceived social presence of employees is important, as well as the e-service quality and assistive intent. Other people in a store, crowding, other customer’s influence by age, interaction, and touch are aspects which might affect the relationship with other people in-store. The influence of other people during online shopping is described as virtual consumption communities, online recommendations, social and collaborative shopping, group purchases, and co-presence of other consumers. Behavioural dimension also referred to as the pragmatic or utilitarian dimension, targets the rational behaviour of customers over the complete span of usage. This includes the user-friendliness, assortment width, product quality, and for in-store specific on store location and display of product on shelves. Within the online shopping experience, it focusses on risk and trust online, customisation of product, and website functionality and quality of online services. 2.2. Virtual Product Experience Product experience can be classified into three types. Li et al (2001,2002,2003) define them as follow: Physical experience, which allows a consumer to directly interact with the presented product; indirect product experience, such as (often) interaction with a static visual picture; Virtual Product Experience (VPE), allowing consumers to directly interact with 3D virtual models. Algharabat, R.S. (2014) defines VPE as a virtual online experience that users can have while navigating a 3D product presentation aiming to simulate direct product experiences (i.e., conventional in-store experience). Previous research on VPE (Algharabat & Zamil, 2013; Algharabat & Abu-ElSamen, 2013; Algharabat & Dennis, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2010c; Jiang & Benbasat, 2005; Lee et al., 2005; Rafi et al., 2005; Mortz, 2010; Li et al, 2001, 2002, 2003; Hassenzahl et al, 2001; Klein, 2003; Edwards and Gangadharbatla, 2001; Ariely, 2000) focus on the online retail channel. However, findings are still relevant in the context of this research as they not only focus on the comparison of a 2D picture with a 3D model but also on the general product experience. Product Information & Purchase intention An interesting finding is that VPE has a positive effect on fast reasoning and understanding of the quality and performance of a product (Algharabat & Zamil, 2013; Jiang & Benbasat, 2005; Mortz, 2010; Li et al, 2002). Li et al. (2002) and Hassenzahl et al. (2001) further explained that the product knowledge gained through VPE was higher than both in the indirect experience and, surprisingly and, surprisingly, even the direct experience and 14




had a positive effect on the attitude and purchase intention. Behavioural Furthermore, it was found that the option for customisation and personalisation enhance CX (Rafi et al, 2005) while other say that customisation is the only reason why a 3D virtual model would be useful (Moritz, 2010). Control, Authenticity and Service Quality Giving consumer control over the information and exploration of the product creates product authenticity (Ariely, D. 2000 Algharabat and Dennis, 2010a). Also, being able to change product angel and viewing distance allows consumers to gather accurate and complete information about the product resulting in better service quality (Lee et al., 2005). Sensory involvement It was also found that consumers have a more favourable attitude towards VPE because of the interaction possibilities (Moritz, 2010). Consumers thereby use all of their senses (Klein, 2003) which is in line with the finding that VPE increases the sense of presence (Li et al., 2002; Hassenzahl et al., 2001). Furthermore, it was found that 360-degree views using pictures are more appealing than using a 3D model (Moritz, 2010). Demographic Algharabat and Dennis (2009) focussed on the effect of demographic factors and concluded that females perceive the effects of 3D products better than males. They also found that the higher the educational level of the consumer the lower the effect VPE has. Within Edwards and Gangadharbatla (2001) their research it was found that all evaluators would like to view products in 3D in the future indicating it as a preferable experience.


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3. Consumer experience testing The empirical research aims to identify the effect of different 3D virtual garments presentation technologies on consumer experience and defines usability of the technologies from a consumer perspective. As part of the empirical research, there has first been created a measurement framework relevant for 3D virtual garment presentation in brick and mortar stores. In order to create the framework, there has been looked at measurement models from previous research focussing on CX of 3D virtual presented garments in webshops (Yu & Park, 2014; Algharabat & Dennis, 2010a; Algharabat & Zamil, 2013; Schoenmakers, 2017; Jiang & Benbasat, 2005; Koufaris, 2002; Fiore et al, 2005; Algharabat 2014; Lee & Tsai, 2010). The measurement components used in previous research are categorised into 6 new components (process book, p 29). From this overview, a measurement framework relevant for this research has been created. The measurement framework and thus the research focusses on the 6 components product information, system quality & control, authenticity, service quality, experimental value, and purchase intention (table 2) which are mainly measured using Likert scales. Product information, system quality and control are not specifically measured using a Likert scale but it is expected that the open answer questions give a clear view on consumer experience of product features, details, and user convenience of the technology. The component control has been focussed on by giving users the ability to rotate, and zoom in or out as suggested by Algharaba and Dennis (2010a). Authenticity aims to measure the realism of the product and product experience compared to the physical product and product experience. Focus points such as convincingness and expectation from both Algharabat and Dennis (2010a) and Jiang and Benbasat (2005) are used with a specific focus on the realism of the product and similarity of experience. Service quality aims to measure evaluators satisfaction with the service of the 3D virtual garment presentation and the extent to which the system provides them with the right information (Algharabat & Dennis 2010a; Algharabat & Zamil 2013; Algharabat, 2014 from Jiang and Benbasat 2015 & Kempf and Smith 1998). The focus within service quality is on the extent to which the system is helpful in evaluators product evaluation and purchase decision. Experimental value aims to create a general idea to which extend the evaluator perceives the experience as joyful or interesting and to which extent they feel invited to use it (Algharabat & Dennis, 2010a; Koufaris, 2002; Lee & Tsai, 2010). Besides the components in the measurement model, this is also analysed by inviting the evaluator to choose the technology they would feel most invited to use. The component purchase intention aims to measure evaluators likeliness to buy a product after having seen and explored the 3D virtual garment, and their willingness to shop the presented way in the future. Also, the extent to which an evaluator is willing to go to the store for the specific experience is measured. The measurement model created is shorter compared to the previous measurement models. This is done on purpose in order to be user-friendly and not too time-consuming for the evaluators. The results of this research are controlled by four control variables; gender, age, nationality, and garment bought in-store. The components and measurement scales are shown in Table 2. 3.1 Methods The study is conducted in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and used an English language questionnaire. The evaluators were informed that this study concerns the consumer experience of 3D virtual presented garments and asked to imagine the experience was taking place in B&M stores. Evaluators were free to choose which technology they wanted to evaluate. Depending on the chosen technology, the evaluator is placed into group ‘Fitting mirror’, group ‘Holographic window’, group 3 ‘2D Touchscreen’, group 4 ‘Marker-based AR’, 16




or group ‘Virtual Reality’. The questionnaire contains one var able with open answer questions (O1-O2) followed by four main constructs: Authenticity (AUT), Experimental Value (EV), Service Quality (SQ) and Purchase Intention (PI) (table 3). Variables are measured with the five-point Likert-type scales, anchored by 1 = ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 = ‘strongly agree’. Questions O2, AUT2, EV4, and PI5 belong to the second section of the questionnaire. After evaluating the data the counter-indicative items EV4 and PI5 were omitted as they might have been interpreted in two different ways by the evaluators and are therefore not valid. Also, the category ‘gender neutral’ within control variable gender has been omitted as this option was not selected. In order to test all available presentation technologies, there is made use of two different methodologies. The tests executed via an online questionnaire were available from Sunday 8th of April till Saturday 14th of April. The technology projection-based AR was presented through a video of Paul Smiths ‘Window that never sleeps’. The window showed a holographic of a moving suit which the shopper could change to another suit. Superimposition-based AR was visualised through a video of CLO’s fitting mirror presenting a shopper trying on different virtual garments and being able to almost see the garment 360 degrees. After having viewed the video the evaluators were asked to fill out a questionnaire with the questions written in an ‘expected’ form. The tests executed offline took place on the ground floor of the KSH building from the Hogeschool of Amsterdam on Monday 16th of April. The technologies 2D touchscreen and VR have been programmed in a way Component

Question

Open answer(O1) O1 What do you think of this experience? O2 What aspects from the physical collection did you miss within the digital collection? Authenticity (AUT1) AUT1 I am convinced the physical garment will look the same as the digital presented garment. AUT2 The physical garment looks like I expected it to look. Service Quality (SQ1) SQ1 The system is helpful for me to evaluate the product. Experimental Value (EV1 - EV3) EV1 I find the presented experience interesting. EV2 I felt invited to use the system. EV3 It would be a good idea to implement this way of product presentation in stores. EV4 It would be a good idea to implement this way of product presentation in stores. Purchase Intention (PI1 - PI4) PI1 I am willing to buy my garments this way. PI2 In the future I would buy my garments this way. PI3 I would be willing to tell a friend about this. PI4 Would you go to the store for this? O Yes O No O Maybe PI5 I am willing to buy my garments this way. Control (C2 - C6) C1 How many of your garments do you buy in store? O 1/10 O 2/10 O 3/10 O 4/10 O 5/10 O 6/10 O 7/10 C2

What is your age? O

O Gender neutral

Table 2 - Measurement model (used for questionnaire)


Source: Authors Visualisation

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that the evaluator was able to rotate, and zoom in and out on the garment (Algharabat & Dennis 2010a). By clicking on the arrows shown they were able to change the garments (top and bottom). Furthermore, they were able to turn the avatar on which the clothing was presented, on and off. The technology marker-based AR did not include any of these features and the garments were not presented on an avatar, however, the garment could be viewed 360 degrees by moving the phone in a different angle. The evaluator was first introduced to the research and asked to evaluate a technology which they would feel most invite to when being in a B&M store. During the experience, evaluators were unstructured observed where after they were asked to fill out a questionnaire. After filling out the first section of the questionnaire the evaluator was shown the physical collection. Right after the having seen the physical collection the evaluator was asked to fill out the second section of the questionnaire. Both paired and unpaired T.TESTS using a two-tailed distribution and a two-sample equal variance are carried out. The level of significance was set at 5%. Paired T.TESTS are used to measure significance within technologies, looking at relatable questions and interesting difference or similarities in M and SD. UnpaIred T.TESTS have been executed per question in order to get an overview of significant differences between technologies. Furthermore, the measures have been compared with answers to the open questions and findings which arrived from observation. 3.2 Results 182 people participated in the study of whom 64% women and 36% men, 88% participants were aged 38 or younger, and 76% of the participants were Dutch. It turns out that evaluators buy 7 out of 10 of their garment in store (M=7.05, SD=2.36) which is comparable with ING’s finding that an average Dutch consumer buys 78% of its garments in store (ING, 2016). The fact that all groups have a different number of samples should be mentioned and is taken into consideration during the analysis (Figure 5). However, the size of the sample also says something about the extent to which the evaluator felt invited to use the system as they were free to choose one of the technologies to evaluate. The division between male and female is comparable with nearly 65% female and 35% male participants for each technology. The age of participants is very comparable between technologies except for marker-based AR where the majority was aged 0.05 it can be said that this difference is most probably a result of chance meaning there is no significant difference between male and female perceived effect of 3D virtual garment presentation (P-values can be found in Appendix B, p.41). 3.3 Conclusion from a consumer perspective Results of this study show that overall, consumers have a positive feeling toward 3D virtual garment presentation and the different technologies and they find it a good idea to implement 3D virtual garment presentation in stores. However, consumers rather buy their garments through 3D virtual garment presentation technologies in the future than now as they expect the service quality and visual quality to be improved in the future. In order to increase the purchase intention there should be offered a wide range of products through the technologies and specific product information should be given. Also, trial, visual and tactile aspects were often mentioned as missing aspects during the virtual experience. In order to decrease the number of missing factors, there could be looked at body scanners, selfie (picture) functions and fabric swatches. Overall, this should have a positive effect on the behavioural dimension of CX as it focusses on customisation, functionality and quality of service (Dziewanowska, 2015). Being able to rotate the garments and zoom in and out is found to be an important requirement as it increases control which has a positive effect on the sensory dimension of CX. Furthermore, 3D virtual garment presentation increases the chance that a consumer, mainly purchasing online, will go to the store. Also, it was found that male and female perceive the effect of 3D virtual garment presentation with no significant difference.

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Focussing on the specific technologies, it is found that the 3D virtual garment presentation on a 2D touchscreen is perceived as least interesting. The Fitting Mirror is perceived as very useful but the authenticity of the physical garments is expected to be least authentic compared to the other technologies. Marker-based AR is second most positively rated but requires the function to rotate, zoom in and zoom out. For this technology authenticity did not have an influence on willingness to buy, even though the authenticity of the virtual garment was, compared to the other technologies, rated least positive after having seen the physical garment. 3D virtual garment presentation through VR is overall rated most positive and evaluators are most likely to tell their friends about it.


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4. Discussion and limitations When looking at the previous research findings, which focussed on the online experience, the statement that VPE has a positive effect on fast reasoning and understanding of the quality and performance of a product (Algharabat & Zamil, 2013; Jiang & Benbasat, 2005; Mortz, 2010; Li et al, 2002) is found to be the opposite when focussing on B&M stores. This is because it is found that a lot of consumers still prefer the physical garment and wished more product information. In contrast, previous findings on the influence of control on product authenticity (Ariely, D. 2000 Algharabat and Dennis, 2010a), service quality, and product information (Lee et al., 2005) are the same as the finding within this research. This indicates the importance of control for a positive CX of 3D virtual garments. The fact that the option for customisation and personalisation enhance CX (Rafi et al, 2005) is similar to the finding of this research. Whereas Moritz (2010) says customisation is the only reason why a 3D virtual model would be useful, this research finds several reasons why a 3D virtual model is useful such as time-saving and a motivation to go to the store. Edwards and Gangadharbatla (2001) found that all evaluators would like to view products in 3D in the future indicating it as a preferable experience which is also found within this research, meaning that 3D virtual garment presentation can have a serious effect on consumer experience in the future as well. The effect of demographic factors researched by Algharabat and Dennis (2009) have partly been analysed within this research and while they found that females perceive the effect more positively, there is no significant difference between male and female perception found within this research. They also found that the higher the educational level of the consumer the lower the effect VPE has. This has not been analysed within this research but is an important factor to keep in mind during further research and advice. The dimensions which influence CX; sensory, emotional, intellectual, social, behaviour and the aspects of these dimensions could not all be covered during the empirical research and therefore have to be discussed. During the empirical research, the evaluators were not given the option to use all of their senses. As evaluators also commented; sound and tactile feedback could have positively influenced the experience. The fact that the research was done in a university environment instead of in a retail atmosphere might have influenced the experience. However, evaluators were clearly instructed to act as if they were in a B&M store. The specific type of garments, which might not be of everyone’s taste, could have had an impact but as no evaluator mentioned anything about the style of the garments it is most probably that evaluators judged without taking this aspect into consideration. The emotional dimension has not been focussed on as it focusses on the relationship with a company or brand which is not the case within this research. Neither did the questionnaire include a question focussing on the general emotions or feelings of the evaluator at the moment of experience. As according to Dziewanowska (2015) this dimension might have an impact on the consumer experience, it is suggested to take the dimension into consideration during future research. The same counts for the intellectual dimension, targeting customers’ problem-solving behaviour and creativity of thinking. The social dimension, considering a person’s relationship with other social actors as well as the person’s ideal self, has partly been tested. As there were no employees but only researchers, it could not be measured whether the interaction with employees had a strong influence on the experience as suggested by Dziewanowska (2015). Crowding and co-presence of other consumers, however, has been taken into consideration as there were always several people in the research area but no significant effect has been found. As the research was not done in a store, the influence of store location, part of the behavioural dimension, could not be analysed. Assortment width, product quality, customisation, functionality and service quality, however, have been found to be important factors during the experience which might or did have an effect on the experience. The fact that there was a limited amount of time for the literature research and execution of the empirical research can be seen as a limitation. The level of validity could have been increased if the samples were more evenly divided across the different technologies. However, the size of the sample also said something about the extent to which the evaluator felt invited to use the system. Furthermore, instead of using a convenience sample, looking at specific consumers withing B&M stores might have given a different outcome too. For future research, it is suggested to also specifically focus on the emotional state of the consumer during the experience to measure the influence of the emotional dimension. Furthermore, the empirical research should then be executed in a B&M store in order to measure the influence of sensory and social dimension more extensively. 24 Back to table of content



5. Conclusion The effect of 3D virtual garment presentation depends on several aspects such as sensory involvement, the emotional state of the consumer, consumers intellect, social circumstances and behavioural aspects. It was found that especially on the sensory dimension and behavioural dimension, 3D virtual garment presentation can have a positive impact. 3D virtual garment presentation makes it possible to be more interactively involved in the product experience by giving consumers control of the product experience (e.g. rotation, zoom in, zoom out). However, focussing on the sense of touch, consumers still prefer to physically feel and touch the product. The sense of sight can be positively stimulated with precise visualisation of product details, textures and fabric properties. For the behavioural dimension of CX it is found that this dimension can be affected by offering a wide range of 3D virtual garments, customisation options and optimal service quality of the technology. Focussing on 3D virtual garment presentation technologies, it was found that VR is overall rated most positive indicating that VR has the most positive effect on CX. Marker-based AR is second most positively rated but the experience with this technology could be easily improved by giving the consumer more control. Garment presentation using a holographic or 2D touchscreen is overall rated neutral indicating that those technologies would have less effect on the CX than the previous mentioned AR and VR technologies. The Fitting Mirror is perceived as very useful. However, the authenticity of the garments can be improved in order to increase its effect on CX. Overall, consumers have a positive feeling towards 3D virtual garment presentation in B&M stores and are neutral to extremely willing to buy their garments after only having them seen virtually.


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Appendix A - Test Plan Consumer Experience Revised: 04/22/18

Graduation project IFM – Amsterdam Fashion Institute

Kim Schoenmakers

How do consumers experience different forms of 3D virtual garment presentation?

Test Plans & Test Results By: Kim Schoenmakers

Table of contents 1. TEST PLAN ......................................................................................................... 2 1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.2. Project Description; Sub-Technologies .............................................................................. 2 1.3. Test Strategy ............................................................................................................................ 3 1.4. Important Terminology.......................................................................................................... 6 1.5. Appendix ................................................................................................................................. 7

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1. TEST PLAN 1.1.

Introduction To identify the effect of the technologies, used to present 3D virtual garments, on consumer experience and understand the potential that retailers have in using them to enhance their services and operations in brick and mortar stores, this test is executed. The research defines usability of the technology from a consumer perspective through observation during the evaluator’s experience and a short questionnaire right after the evaluator’s experience. The outcome of this research can be used to advise companies what to focus on when considering or further implementation of 3D virtual garment presentation in brick and mortar stores. Furthermore, the conducted research will be part of the foundation to issue a business plan for a brick and mortar store. The research question which will be answered is: How do consumers experience different forms of 3D virtual garment presentation?

1.2.

Project Description; Sub-Technologies The technologies VR, 2D touch screen and marker based AR are tested by using Marlies Reukers, Fashion Design graduate at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, her digital and physical collection EASE UP (2018). During the tests evaluators were observed. After the tests evaluators were asked to fill out a short questionnaire. The technologies projection based AR and superimposition based AR are tested through online questionnaires. A video of the specific technology will be shown whereafter evaluators were asked to fill out a questionnaire with the questions written in an ‘expected’ form. The questionnaire is spread through social media e.g. facebook, instagram and linkedin with the aim to receive as many responses having no specific target group in mind. For both methodologies a between-subject design is employed. 1.2.1.

2D touch screen (Appendix A) Marlies Reukers her latest collection EASE UP will be presented on a 2D touch screen. The touch screen contains: - Possibility to swipe garment horizontally 360 degrees around - Possibility to zoom in and out on the garment - Refresh button to get front view garments - Arrows to switch top / bottom - Button to turn avatar on or off

1.2.2.

VR (Appendix B) The collection EASE UP will be presented in an immersive VR environment which is accessible through a head-mounted display - Possibility to swipe garment horizontally 360 degrees around - Possibility to zoom in and out on the garment - Refresh button to get front view garments - Arrows to switch top / bottom - Button to turn avatar on or off Environment will be a plain white building environment 2


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Marker Based AR One garment from the collection EASE UP will be able to be explored by scanning a marker presented in store.

1.2.4.

Physical collection The collection EASE UP will be presented on hangers. Evaluators will be able to explore the physical collection after they have evaluated the virtual collection. This order is chosen because when implementing such a strategy in real life, physical garments will also only be able to be explored after having seen the virtual collection.

1.2.5.

Projection based AR Evaluators are asked to watch the video from the ‘window that never sleeps’ by Paul Smith where after they are asked to fill out a questionnaire. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37UOyi1Beow

1.2.6.

Superimposition based AR Evaluators are asked to watch a video from CLO3D representing their magic mirror where after they are asked to fill out a questionnaire. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMUsVIB-anY

1.3.

Test Strategy The following chapter will describe how it will be tested in more detail. Also risks and limitations will be described.

1.3.1. Research aim Aim of this research is to get an insight of the applicability of different technologies on different target groups and brand images. Technology is presented with the described purpose of being a sales tool.

1.3.2. Sample size and location and time 2D touch screen, VR, Marker based AR - Number of evaluators depends on amount of visitors who are interested in the technology presented. I aim to have a sample size of 150 evaluators divided over the 3 technologies. If there is more than one day needed to reach this aim we might extend the research time (if possible). The tests will be done on the ground floor of the KSH building from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam on Friday 13th of April. Unfortunately, the aim to test in a store did not work out. Projection based AR, Superimposition based AR – Aim is to have a sample size of 50 evaluators per technology. The questionnaires will be available online from Sunday 8th of April till Saturday 14th of April.

1.3.1. Test Equipment VR: - ALIENWARE PC with SteamVR and Unity - One sensor with tripod - HTC VIVE Head-mouthed display with one toggle 3

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2D Touchscreen: - 2D touchscreen - HP laptop with unity Marker based AR: - Markers printed on a1 poster - Table to lay down poster on - Samsung S8 to scan markers with the application vuforia Physical collection - Collection EASE UP (Marlies Reukers, 2018) Questionnaires: 3 Ipads to let evaluators fill out questionnaire on.

1.3.2. Store lay-out; Setup instructions 3 different technologies will be set up next to each other in a half circle form. 3 Standing tables will be positioned next to the technology with the ipad (questionnaire) on it and a box of celebration chocolates.

1.3.3. Phases of Testing a. The evaluator gets a small explanation about the background of the research told by the researcher (if needed) Evaluator might just start exploring without introduction b. The evaluator tries out on of the test situation as prefered. - 2D touchscreen - VR - Marker based AR c. Evaluator is being observed by researcher d. The evaluator fills out first section of the questionnaire e. Researcher shows evaluator the physical collection f. Evaluator fills out second section of the questionnaire

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1.3.4. Questionnaire Section 1 (all 5 technologies) For this questionnaire the 1-5 Likert scale is used having 1 as a not clear/ no and 5 as clear /yes.

5

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Questionnaire Section two (2D screen, VR, Marker based AR)

1.3.5. Risks and limitations When consumers are asked to explain how they experience. However, they may feel under pressure or the circumstances can make them uncomfortable to tell how they truly feel about a certain experience. - Affective (emotional) dimension (limitation/risk during testing) - emotions and feelings in consumption and experiences - emotions and mood as an ‘input’ influencing shopping process - emotions as an ‘output’ resulting from shopping behaviour - hedonic dimension in consumption - Cognitive (intellectual) dimension (limitation/risk during testing) - thinking style (process, outcome oriented) - information processing during purchase decision making process - Creativity in thinking - influence of learning process

1.4.

Important Terminology VR – Virtual Reality AR – Augmented Reality Between subject design - an experiment that has two or more groups of subjects each being tested by a different testing factor simultaneously

6


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1.5.



Kim Schoenmakers

Appendix A 2D touchscreen interface:

Marker based AR interface:

Immersive VR

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Appendix B - Data Analysis


Overview division given answers

Normdist: =NORMDIST(x,AVE,STDEV,FALSE) x= 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Grapfiek: X axis: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Y axis: Normdist


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Wordwolks per technology

Answers on O1 group 1 - Fitting mirror

Answers on O1 group 2 - Holographic Window

Answers on O1 group 3 - 2D Touchscreen

Answers on O1 group 4 - Marker-based AR

Answers on O1 group 5 - Virtual Reality 40




Correlation matrices per question Within technologies/groups

Between technologies/groups

Comparison descriptive data female and male


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