Do tech products have a beauty premium? The effect of visual aesthetics of wearables on willingness-to-pay premium and the role of product category involvement

Does design, not technology, affect consumers' valuation of wearable devices? This study empirically examines the impact of the visual product aesthetics of wearables on consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) premium, along with the relevant intervening consumer psychology of perceived benefits. The results of an online survey revealed a significant and positive association between the visual product aesthetics of wearables and WTP, perceived product quality (PQ), and perceived enjoyment (PE) of wearables. In addition, PE mediated the relation between visual aesthetics and WTP, while PQ did not. Meanwhile, consumer involvement moderated the relation between visual aesthetics and WTP. Implications and limitations were discussed.