Two Decades of Research on In‐Store Technology: Antecedents, Consequences and Future Research Agenda

Summary

This systematic review (Singh & Yadav, 2025) synthesises 82 papers spanning 2004 to February 2025 on in-store technologies (IST) in physical retail settings. Using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and a TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, Methodology) lens, the authors map antecedents, outcomes and methodological gaps. They also apply Corbin and Strauss’ open, axial and selective coding to surface themes such as global retail strategy, omnichannel integration and technology-enabled personalisation. The paper proposes a TCCM-based conceptual framework and a future research agenda, and offers practical guidance for retailers and technology developers on aligning in-store innovations with evolving consumer expectations.

Key Points

Review covers 82 studies (2004–Feb 2025) and applies SPAR-4-SLR and TCCM frameworks.
Identifies common antecedents (e.g. perceived usefulness, technology readiness) and outcomes (e.g. loyalty, shopping value, customer citizenship behaviour).
Highlights dominant contexts: fashion retail, supermarkets, dining and phygital environments.
Pinpoints methodological gaps: need for mixed-methods, experiments, longitudinal and field studies to improve causal inference.
Uses grounded coding (Corbin & Strauss) to extract key themes: omnichannel integration, global retail strategy, personalization, privacy and frontline employee impacts.
Provides a TCCM-based conceptual framework to guide theory development and future empirical work.
Practical takeaways for retailers and tech vendors on aligning IST with customer experience and operational goals.

Content summary

The authors begin by noting rapid transformation in physical retail via technologies such as smart mirrors, automated checkout, AR/VR and AI-powered systems. Despite growing empirical work, theoretical integration is limited. To address this, Singh & Yadav review the literature systematically and classify findings under TCCM.

Context: Studies concentrate on certain retail formats (fashion stores, supermarkets, restaurants) and on phygital or omnichannel settings.

Characteristics: Common antecedents include perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, privacy concerns, technology readiness and situational factors. Key outcomes examined are purchase intention, loyalty, shopping value and customer behaviours. The review also discusses unintended consequences for frontline staff and consumer privacy tensions.

Methodology: The field is dominated by cross-sectional surveys; the review calls for more experimental, mixed-method, longitudinal and field research to test causality and boundary conditions.

Conceptual contributions: By combining TCCM mapping with grounded coding, the paper offers an integrated conceptual framework and identifies priority research directions—e.g. personalisation typologies, data-privacy trade-offs, employee-technology interactions and the role of IST in global retail strategies.

Context and relevance

Why this matters: Retailers are investing heavily in in-store technologies to create differentiated experiences and operational efficiencies. This review consolidates two decades of fragmented research and provides a clear roadmap for scholars and practitioners. It aligns with broader trends—AI in retail, phygital strategies, privacy concerns and omnichannel integration—making it useful for academics planning studies and for retail leaders prioritising investments.

Why should I read this?

If you work in retail, build retail tech, or do research on retail innovation, this paper saves you time — it pulls together the messy literature, tells you what actually matters (and what doesn’t), and flags the best next moves for research or rollout. It’s basically the cheat-sheet for where theory and practice meet in bricks-and-mortar tech.

Author style

Punchy. The authors are methodical but the write-up is action-oriented: they don’t just catalogue studies — they force a synthesis and hand you a conceptual map. Read the full paper if you need a framework to design studies or to justify in-store tech decisions internally.