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This study adopts the customer journey framework to investigate the role of the metaverse in the customer purchase experience. It establishes the effect of the metaverse on the three stages of the customer purchase journey, namely pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase, in the context of the fashion industry, an early adopter of the metaverse.

The research is a qualitative case study explored through consumer diaries and focus groups. The resultant data are analysed thematically.

Metaverse usage is the most significant at the pre-purchase stage. However, technical problems and other sources of friction negatively impact the customer experience journey, providing insight into the reasons underlying the recent decline of metaverse marketplaces.

This study’s empirical findings have theoretical and practical implications related to metaverse retailing and the customer experience journey. The study benefits metaverse designers and customers and will influence retail strategy choice. Additionally, it contributes two conceptual frameworks to the underdeveloped metaverse retailing field and extends the customer experience journey framework to the metaverse context, thus contributing to the body of knowledge on omnichannel retailing.

Body shape is a critical variable influencing consumers' garment choices (Zakaria, 2017), yet research investigating how UK females with varying body shapes evaluate and experience fit is limited. Moreover, while digital methods exist to classify female body shapes, application in a commercial setting is limited. To fill this gap within the literature, this study aims to understand the influence of body shape variation on garment fit evaluations of 30 UK females aged 18–34 years.

This study conducts a physical garment try-on session whereby 30 UK females aged 18–34 years were body-scanned and categorised into a body shape, using the Female Figure Identification Technique method. Participants verbalised their fit experiences during a physical try-on session through semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper understanding of individuals' fit appraisals.

The findings demonstrate that UK females who share the same body shape classification experience the same issues when appraising dress fit, challenging Makhanya and Mabuza (2020) who found that body shape does not influence apparel fit satisfaction. The results shed light on the importance of body shape during the fit appraisal process.

Despite the contribution, future research to improve the limitations should be addressed. First, although it was necessary to investigate a UK demographic to address research gaps, the finding of this study cannot be generalised to the entire UK female population nor to other areas of the world. Hence, future research should overcome this limitation by extending this study further to other countries, cultures and ethnicities.

The findings of the present study shed light on the role of body shape in determining satisfactory clothing fit and how females' fit experiences will differ depending on their body shape classification. Thus, fashion retailers should use this insight to better inform their promotional strategies, not only making them more inclusive but also to help assist this particular consumer segment with their clothing decisions based on their body shape.

The present study provides an in-depth understanding of how females with the same body shape experience garment fit, contributing novel findings to the literature through a mixed-method inquiry previously lacking in this area, with a UK demographic which has not previously been explored.

The purpose of this paper is to identify if and how the see-now-buy-now model impacts the traditional buying, merchandising and supply chain processes (BMSCP) of multi-brand fashion retailers (MBFR) and whether they need to be adapted in order to facilitate this development.

This exploratory study includes three industry case studies, triangulated with external observers. A total of 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted within Germany and the UK.

Findings demonstrate that in order to adopt the see-now-buy-now model there is a need for process-shortening, as well as better process and network alignment between MBFR and brands through agility, supplier–relationship management and vertical integration in order to stay competitive against time-based competition. Whilst most steps of the traditional BMSCP are still applicable under the see-now-buy-now model, they must be re-engineered and shortened, with the steps being rolling rather than linear, with buyers and merchandisers operating in a more hybrid role.

This paper addresses the lack of research on the see-now-buy-now model as well as on the BMSCP of MBFR and the implications that see-now-buy-now could have on those processes. A modified buying, merchandising and supply chain framework adapted to incorporate see-now-buy-now is created which will be useful for academics and practitioners.