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This study investigates the impact of augmented reality (AR) technology on consumer engagement, product attitudes, and purchase intention in online stores. By examining how AR enhances traditional 2D and 3D product representations, the research aims to determine its effectiveness in improving online product presentations and delivering value to both consumers and retailers. An empirical study was conducted using a between-subjects experiment involving 120 participants, who were randomly assigned to view one of the four digital product representations of an IKEA table lamp, including various combinations of 2D images, 3D models, and AR. Engagement, product attitudes, and purchase intentions were assessed through a structured questionnaire following exposure to the stimuli. Findings revealed that AR significantly increased consumer engagement compared to 2D or 3D images alone, but did not lead to notable improvements in product attitudes or purchase intentions. This indicates that while AR can enhance engagement, it may not directly affect consumers´ evaluations or purchasing decisions. These results contribute to the growing literature on AR in retail by positioning it as an enhancement to existing digital representations rather than a standalone solution. The study also contributes to an increased managerial understanding of the possible benefits of implementing different types of product presentations in online retail.

Purpose: A status quo situation has occurred among actors, policymakers, producers, retailers and consumers where no one takes the lead on the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) fight. Common theoretical approaches to behaviour including awareness, understanding and use are insufficient in the AMR context. In this paper, the authors suggest the application of accountability literature to fully understand the status quo situation with AMR.

Design/methodology/approach: AMR in food has become an alarming problem in the past decade and is an increasing threat to global health. The knowledge about AMR often comes from a medical context where the perspective is completely different. Therefore, it is difficult for consumers to apply this to a grocery store context purchasing food.

Findings: This paper uses the concept of accountability and the significant other within the accountability field and discusses how this could help overcome the non-action state of mind of consumers and other actors.

Practical implications: Enhanced accountability could significantly improve One-Health solutions for combating AMR. By fostering a culture of shared responsibility and transparent communication among stakeholders, the silo effect may be mitigated, promoting collaborative efforts. Accountability mechanisms should ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and communicated across sectors, such as health care, agriculture and policymaking. Educational initiatives can increase AMR awareness, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions. Integrating perspectives from various domains will facilitate the development of holistic strategies, thus improving the overall effectiveness of efforts to address AMR and ensuring a sustainable approach to public health.

Social implications: Enhanced accountability in AMR management can lead to significant social benefits. By promoting transparency and collective responsibility, communities can foster greater trust and cooperation among various stakeholders, including health-care providers, policymakers and consumers. Increased awareness of AMR can empower individuals to make informed decisions, thereby promoting public health and safety. Socially, this could lead to more sustainable practices in antibiotic use and a reduction in the spread of resistant infections. In addition, fostering a culture of accountability ensures that efforts to combat AMR are more inclusive, equitable and effective, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.

Originality/value: The proposal to create strategies according to a basis of accountability can be applied at all levels of the AMR problem and for all actors. This therefore provides important knowledge about how AMR can be approached in a more long-term way where initiatives to prevent the spread of AMR do not take place in parallel or become difficult to access.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health issue heavily influenced by human behavior. Effective communication and awareness-raising are crucial in curbing AMR, with social network sites (SNSs) significantly shaping health behaviors. Despite their potential, current analyses of AMR on SNSs have focused mainly on top-down communication initiatives.

Objective: This study aims to examine AMR on Instagram (Meta Platforms), identifying key actors, content themes, and the nature of the communication to understand how AMR is portrayed and perceived.

Methods: Based on the sender-message-channel-receiver model, this study used content analysis to review publicly accessible posts on Instagram. The data refer to 24 months, focusing on the hashtag “#antibioticresistance.” After cleaning the data, 610 posts (10% of the total 6105) were analyzed.

Results: Content creators were predominantly information drivers or professionals in science and health. Posts frequently featured text-dominated visuals or images of bacteria and laboratory tests. However, the AMR posts were found to be siloed, with limited engagement beyond specific interest groups. The study highlighted the neutrality and accuracy of the content but noted the challenge of reaching a broader audience.

Conclusions: While Instagram serves as a platform for accurate and informative AMR communication, the post of it remains confined to niche groups, limiting its broader impact. To enhance engagement, AMR discussions should be integrated into more general interest content, use visually compelling formats, and encourage institutional participation and interactive user engagement.

For as long as people have met and gathered in small villages, in larger cities, at religious events or along travel routes, for shorter or longer periods of time, people have engaged in trading goods – the forerunner of today's retailing. Hence, retail is an economic sector with a long history (Stobart & Howard, 2019). Most early retail took place in town centres, establishing the relationship between trade and urban agglomeration (Coleman, 2006). A general rule has been that retail is located where the customers are (May, 1989), owing to the economic potential of proximity to larger consumer markets. This is true not only for retailing, but for almost all economic activities in liberal markets (Scott, 1998), and the general trend is a drainage of investments, companies and people in sparsely populated rural and peripheral localities in favour of urban agglomerations (Lindgren et al., 2017), at least when it comes to physical retailing, which is the focus of this chapter.