Abstract:
Voice is becoming a frontline interface across the customer journey. However, the role of digital assistants, such as chatbots and voice assistants, in shopping remains underexplored and a comprehensive understanding of the value that these assistants provide is still missing. This study addresses this gap by applying consumption value theory to identify the dimensions influencing the use of such digital assistants for shopping. By integrating this theory into the technology acceptance model, we develop a coherent framework to analyze the values driving digital assistant adoption. The research model highlights the importance of epistemic, conditional, emotional, and functional values in determining the perceived usefulness of digital assistants for shopping, while social value and ease of use are less impactful. Trust positively influences both attitude and behavioral intention, while perceived risk negatively affects attitude but not intention; digital assistants in conversational commerce share similarities with smartphones in mobile shopping. When comparing chatbots and smartphones, trust has a stronger impact on consumer attitudes in mobile shopping. In contrast, perceived usefulness plays a more prominent role in shaping attitudes toward the use of voice assistants rather than chatbots. The empirical findings also highlight significant differences across demographic groups.