IoT-commerce - opportunities for customers through an affordance lens

Retail commerce is influenced by digital technologies at large scale. After electronic commerce and its evolution into mobile commerce, we now see that the Internet of Things (IoT), one of the most disruptive developments in recent times, is about to radically transform retail commerce from need recognition to post-purchase engagement and service. Extant literature mainly investigates technical features of IoT, missing out on a customer-centric perspective. Theoretically founded in Activity and Affordance Theories, this paper conceptualizes IoT-commerce, identifies opportunities for customers, and links them to the customer buying process. Based on an extensive literature review, twelve affordances are derived and evaluated with a sample of real-world IoT devices. All affordances offered by electronic and mobile commerce are still valid for IoT-commerce but extended by three affordances unique to IoT-commerce: context-aware services, natural interactions, and automated customer processes. Affecting all steps of the customer buying process, IoT-commerce is worth to be understood by researchers, customers, and companies.