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The advent of mixed reality technologies in e-commerce presents marketers with numerous challenges in effectively harnessing these technologies to influence desired consumer behaviours. This paper explores the role of mixed reality in facilitating reality congruence, with the goal of enhancing e-service quality and fostering customer engagement. Through an exploration of the affordance actualization theory within the context of human–computer interaction frameworks, the study examines how mixed reality aligns virtual experiences with real-world perceptions, thereby improving service interactions and contributing to a more immersive and engaging customer experience.

A survey-based research methodology was utilized to examine the sample of 346 participants drawn from e-commerce users, focusing on the conceptual model delineating interrelations among various constructs. Data analysis was conducted employing both symmetric (structural equation model) and asymmetric analysis (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis).

E-service quality assumes a central role in enhancing reality congruence, thereby facilitating the development of interconnected trait associations such as trust and commitment, which are conducive to customer engagement. Additionally, the findings confirm the validity of the conceptual model through fsQCA analysis, indicating that reality congruence and trust collectively serve as robust predictors of customer engagement. However, it is noteworthy that reality congruence alone does not offer significant predictive insights into customer engagement outcomes.

Based on the findings, reality congruence, supported by mixed reality (MR), is essential for e-commerce service providers to induce customer engagement. The practical implications of this study suggest the need for e-commerce service providers and integrative technology designers to engage customers in a digitally connected and intensively competitive era.

Examining the phenomenon of user experience in a mixed reality virtual shopping environment to enhance engagement in centennial consumers is an original approach.

This study aims to understand the relationship among the anthropomorphic features, perceived authenticity on customer engagement and electronic word of mouth using the integration of realism and trust theory in the context of virtual influencers (VI). This research also investigates the moderation of brand familiarity on both focal aspects of trust (cognitive and affective), anthropomorphic cues and perceived authenticity.

A mall-intercept survey approach was used to collect the responses using a structured survey from 377 respondents from India. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling.

The findings indicate that physical and cognitive anthropomorphic features and perceived authenticity influence cognitive trust. However, affective trust is only influenced by perceived authenticity. Apart from this, higher levels of trust in VI contribute towards higher customer engagement and lead to sharing electronic word of mouth. Finally, brand familiarity moderates the relationship between emotional cues and affective trust.

The popularity of VI is driving companies to redesign their marketing strategies. Due to the limitations of human influencers, companies are allocating budgets for VI-based marketing strategies. However, it is still unclear how consumers perceive VI as a brand endorser and what would be its implications. This study suggests that consumers are looking for anthropomorphic cues such as physical, cognitive and emotional cues of humanness in the VI, along with authentic content shared through them to instil their trust. Once the trust is built, consumers will be engaged and say positive things about VI.

This study fills the gap by examining how anthropomorphic features and perceived authenticity contributed to both dimensions of trust (cognitive and affective), further enhancing customer engagement and electronic word of mouth. This research also examined the moderation of brand familiarity on the relationship between trust and its antecedents.

This study aims to empirically investigate the factors that influence consumers' attitudes and intentions to use mobile wallets in the context of Somalia. Additionally, the study examines the role of attitude as a mediator between independent variables and the dependent variable.

A multidisciplinary model is proposed, building on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and other relevant research on factors influencing technology adoption. Data were collected using a questionnaire, and convenience sampling was employed to select the respondents. A total of 321 respondents participated in the survey. Fifteen hypotheses were formulated, and PLS-SEM and SPSS software were used to estimate and test the hypothesized model.

The results show that factors including attitude, lifestyle condition (LC), perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) have a direct effect on the intention to use mobile wallets. However, facilitating conditions (FC), quality of internet connection (QIC), security (SEC) and trust do not have a direct effect on mobile wallet adoption. On the other hand, attitude mediates the relationship between facilitating conditions, lifestyle compatibility, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, quality of internet connection, security and mobile wallet adoption. Consumer attitude does not mediate the relationship between trust and mobile wallet adoption.

This empirical study was conducted only in Mogadishu, thus limiting its geographic scope. Future research on mobile wallets should consider more cities in Somalia. The data were collected at a specific point in time. Given the rapidly changing rate of mobile wallet usage, a longitudinal study might be warranted. Additionally, other variables such as relative advantage, perceived benefits, risk and additional factors could be considered.

As lifestyle conditions, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness emerged as important constructs for mobile wallet acceptance, there is a need to develop the best ease of use, the most suitable conditions and the highest perceived usefulness. The findings have managerial implications that can help banks providing mobile wallet services to increase the usage and adoption of their services.

Mobile wallets have introduced new digital payment options for consumers while also providing businesses and marketers with enhanced opportunities to promote their products and services online. However, there is limited research on the adoption of mobile wallets in Somalia. This study may be the first in Somalia to investigate mobile wallet adoption with a larger sample size compared to previous studies. It also proposes and validates additional constructs not included in the original model.