Retailing and technological affordances: understanding the subjective realities of interactive buying through scan and go apps

Naeem, Muhammad, Ozuem, Wilson ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0337-1419 , Howell, Kerry and Ranfagni, Silvia (2025) Retailing and technological affordances: understanding the subjective realities of interactive buying through scan and go apps. European Journal of Marketing, Emerald. Item availability may be restricted.

PDF - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License CC BY-NC Download (851kB) | Contact the author

Abstract

Purpose: The present research explores how three types of selected technological affordances (perceived affordance, imagined affordance and actualised affordance) of scan and go (S&G) apps facilitate customers’ achievement of goals in retail shopping. It fills an important gap in the literature by exploring how customers interpret, anticipate and experience S&G apps in an in-store shopping environment.

Method: A phenomenological hermeneutic approach was taken to examine the experiences of customers using S&G apps. Data were extracted from online reviews and social media posts that specifically described in-store Scan & Go app use, along with focus group discussions. An Affordance-Driven Interactive Buying Process model was then developed through six steps of systematic thematic analysis.

Findings: The results reveal three kinds of affordances of S&G apps. Perceived affordance arose from interactive features, such as smart carts, and availability features, such as product location and mobile holders. These shape the way users perceive system opportunities. Imagined affordance was fuelled by customers’ anticipations based on the environment, including socialisation components, such as shared lists and gamification, and frugality components, such as eco cashback. Actualised affordance describes how a user’s capability enables or limits the successful application of a S&G app’s functions; it was illustrated by support tools (e.g., virtual assistants) and personalisation aspects (e.g., allergy alerts). These results show that affordances facilitate the relationship between user skills, system capabilities and the environment that help customers achieve their imagined and perceived goals.

Originality: This research contributes a triadic affordance structure (perceived, imagined, and actualised affordances) relevant to in-store settings. It illustrates how user capabilities, environmental signifiers and system artefacts interact to influence customers’ goal attainment through Scan & Go technologies.

Item Type:	Other
Journal / Publication Title:	European Journal of Marketing
Publisher:	European Journal of Marketing
ISSN:	1758-7123
ISBN:	1758-7123
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Business
Additional Information:	Wilson Ozuem, Professor (Associate) of Digital Marketing and Innovation, University of Cumbria, UK.
Depositing User:	Insight Administrator
SWORD Depositor:	Insight Administrator
Date Deposited:	10 Nov 2025 11:20
Last Modified:	10 Nov 2025 11:20
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/9172