Purpose: This study investigates the structural relationships through which unmanned store attributes influence consumers’ reuse intention, focusing on the mediating roles of perceived control and satisfaction. While prior research on unmanned stores and technology-based self-service has focused predominantly on technology acceptance, convenience, and efficiency, the psychological role of perceived control in shaping consumer responses remains under-explored. To address this gap, this study proposes an integrated framework exploring how key operational characteristics of unmanned stores affect reuse intention through a sequential cognitive-affective pathway. Research design, data, and methodology: Empirical data were gathered via a survey of 300 consumers with prior experience in unmanned stores. The conceptual model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Five core store attributes were specified as antecedents of perceived control, which in turn influences customer satisfaction and reuse intention. The measurement and structural models demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability, validity, and overall fit. Results: The findings reveal that price, merchandising, ease of store use, and spatial layout exert significant positive effects on perceived control, whereas payment convenience yielded no statistically significant effect. Perceived control was found to strongly enhance customer satisfaction, which subsequently serves as a robust predictor of reuse intention. These results support a sequential mechanism from store characteristics to reuse intention through the mediating roles of perceived control and satisfaction, highlighting the critical role of psychological control in technology-driven retail environments. Conclusions: This study advances the literature by identifying perceived control as a primary psychological mechanism linking unmanned store attributes to consumer behavioral outcomes. The findings transcend traditional technology acceptance perspectives by demonstrating that fostering a sense of autonomy and control is essential for enhancing satisfaction and encouraging repeat patronage. From a managerial standpoint, the results suggest that retailers should prioritize environmental clarity, intuitive design, and structured merchandising to reinforce consumers’ perceived control and, ultimately, their reuse intention. Overall, this study offers a theoretically grounded and practically actionable framework for understanding consumer behavior in the evolving unmanned retail landscape.
Yi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.