Many firms use augmented reality (AR) that projects lifelike product holograms into the physical environment to assist customers in bridging so-called “imagination gaps,” which can arise on their path to purchase. However, research has not yet studied whether and how AR might help customers address two pertinent sources of such imagination gaps: (1) increased cognitive load when evaluating multiple products together (e.g., in a bundle) and (2) extended physical distance to th

We are delighted to announce that a paper by Jonas Heller, Mathew Chylinski, Ko de Ruyter, Dominik Mahr, and Debbie Keeling has been accepted for publication in the Journal Retailing. In the paper, we are drawing on mental imagery theory and develop a conceptual framework to reflect how AR emulates customer’s cognitive processes offloading those to the AR technology. Consequently, the AR-enabled frontline improves decision comfort, motivates positive word-of-mouth and facilit