Trying Before Buying: The Impact of Hybrid Virtual Try-On Technology on Bracketing Intentions in Online Apparel Retail

Abstract

Online apparel retailing is characterized by fit uncertainty, leading consumers to engage in bracketing by ordering multiple product alternatives and returning unwanted garments. While this strategy reduces fit-related risk, it also contributes to high return rates. Although virtual try-on (VTO) technologies have been introduced to reduce such uncertainty, their effectiveness and the underlying consumer decision-making mechanisms remain unclear. By adopting a post-interaction perspective on consumer decision-making, this study examines whether and how interacting with a Hybrid VTO technology influences consumers’ fit certainty and bracketing intention, as well as the role of utilitarian and hedonic value perceptions in shaping these outcomes. A within-subject experiment was conducted using Zara’s newly introduced Hybrid VTO technology among Swedish consumers. The findings show that VTO usage significantly reduced consumers’ bracketing intentions. Furthermore, hedonic value derived from the tool emerged as a significant predictor of lower bracketing intention, while combined utilitarian and hedonic value perceptions also demonstrated a significant negative relationship. In contrast, no increase in fit certainty was observed. By integrating VTO interaction with consumer uncertainty-management strategies in online apparel retailing, this study contributes to existing research on retail technologies and return behavior, offering implications for online apparel retailers aiming to mitigate bracketing intentions and associated environmental and operational challenges.