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Zhang, EY, 2025. Being-with-staff-in-a-technology-enabled-fashion-store: from Gen Z’s interpersonal experiences with staff to integration of human, technology and the store environment. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.
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Abstract
In the digital age the fashion retailing sector has witnessed the transformation of conventional fashion stores into technology-enabled spaces. However, whilst the store environment and technology have been overly-studied, it has tended to neglect the human aspect of the store as an amalgamation of people, technology and store environment. The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ interaction with staff in technology-enabled fashion stores, in a daily life-world context, to seek how people, technology and the store environment can be better integrated. The study uses servicescape theory, which is synthesised through two phases that transform it from a psychological perspective into a phenomenological, individual-centric one. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed based on Heidegger’s existential philosophy. Phenomenological interviews were conducted to collect data centred on Gen Z consumers’ interpersonal experiences with staff within a technology-enabled fashion store environment. The interpretation of data and the presentation of findings use an innovative approach that adheres to Heidegger’s philosophy. A four-layers, comprehensive framework emerged from the findings to illustrate the interpersonal experience and its formation by bringing to light the intentional structure that has already been operative in consumers’ everyday patronage of fashion stores. In doing so, this study reveals the essence of consumers’ in-store interaction, thereby forming an enhanced understanding of consumers’ being-in-relation to staff and things in a technologically-enabled servicescape context against the backdrop of individuals’ everyday life. Intra-temporally, this approach provides insights into the improved integration of services provided by staff, technology and other environmental components for enhanced in-store experience, while inter-temporally, it reveals the subtleness and elusiveness of consumer-to-staff (human-to-human level) communication as well as the position of a fashion store in Gen Z consumers’ everyday life. As an innovatory, non-psychological approach aiming to understand consumer everyday experience, this study integrates Heidegger’s philosophy into the field of fashion marketing. As such, it provides an alternative methodological worldview for fashion business studies, with broader implications for practice and theory.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Zhang, E.Y. |
| Contributors: | Name Role NTU ID ORCID |
| Date: | 2025 |
| Rights: | The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author. |
| Divisions: | Schools > School of Art and Design |
| Record created by: | Laura Borcherds |
| Date Added: | 24 Jun 2025 12:44 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jun 2025 12:44 |
| URI: | https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53788 |
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