How in-store QR codes shape the in-store customer experience

Retailers are introducing new technologies into brick-and-mortar (B&M) stores to enhance the in-store customer experience (ISCX). In fashion retail, quick response (QR) codes provide customers with online content and are becoming more prevalent due to emerging global recommendations and European Union (EU) regulations. However, an in-depth understanding of how QR codes shape the ISCX and its four dimensions (cognitive, affective, social, and physical) is lacking. This qualitative study explores informative, inspirational, and inquisitive QR codes in a Finnish fashion store. Customer interviews revealed that QR codes shape the ISCX through ten distinct roles: curiosity provokers, information providers, annoyers, excluders, social avoidance enablers, social disturbers, comfort determinants, harmony determinants, vitality stimulants, and brand interaction enablers. This study also identifies the perceived influences of these roles on ISCX dimensions and proposes a new participatory dimension of ISCX. The study provides recommendations for retailers’ QR code use, including content, placement, and implementation.