New technologies in luxury consumption experiences: The role of individual differences

Technology represents a relevant challenge for today’s luxury brands. However, although new technologies like smart objects might be useful to improve luxury consumption experiences, their effectiveness from a consumer perspective is still unexplored. In particular, no studies have to date investigated the role of status consumption into the acceptance of new technologies in luxury settings. To fill this gap, two experiments have been conducted to investigate the perceived usefulness of Voice Assistants (VAs) in the contexts of luxury hotels and luxury yachts. The experiments examined the interactive effect of consumers’ openness to technological innovation - operationalized as either consumer’s risk propensity or openness to change - and status consumption orientation on perceived usefulness of VAs. Results showed that openness to technological innovation exerted a positive effect on perceived usefulness, yet this effect decreases in magnitude when consumers have a greater status consumption orientation. Relevant managerial implications for luxury marketers interested in implementing new technologies are discussed.