The impact of shopping assistant type and privacy concerns on customers’ adoption of omnichannel personalization in retail stores

Abstract

AI has become a part of our everyday life, and with that, growing concerns around privacy and data usage are on the rise as well. In omnichannel environments, where multiple channels are integrated through technology, AI could offer significant advancements in the services retailers can provide to their customers, such as personalization. This study focuses on understanding the attitudes towards AI-enabled personalization services, and discover the potential underlying factors. Using Causal Attribution Theory as the foundation, this study investigates the perceived capabilities and intentions consumers9 associate towards different types of Shopping Assistants (AI and Human) and explores consumers9 intentions about adopting personalized services provided by these shopping assistants in retail stores. Furthermore, as Privacy Concerns were found to be the most important indicator of the adoption of such technology-driven services, the study investigated the potential moderating factor of consumers9 privacy concerns in this matter through using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design. While the moderation of privacy concerns on the intentions to adopt was not significant, AI assistants were found to trigger higher privacy concerns than humans, aligning with previous findings. Managerial implications suggest implementing a hybrid approach to leveraging the strengths of AI and human assistants in retail environments.

Date of Award	5 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Niza Braga (Supervisor)