The technological revolution that has taken place in the retail industry and the consequences of Covid-19 have changed the behavior of consumers to further embrace digital technologies. One of the technologies in the spotlight is Augmented Reality (AR), whose characteristics allow the user to visualize virtual objects in their environment. AR has been shown to have a major impact in being able to visualize products and create new experiences for the user. Despite the interest in AR and the user experience of the technology, the focus of previous studies has mainly been younger users. The lack of elderly participants has been described as a limitation and their inclusion has been recommended for future studies. The purpose of this qualitative research is to investigate how the user experience with AR differs between younger and older users.

The research conducted two data collection methods, observations, and semi-structured interviews, with participants from two different age groups. The participants had to perform tasks with two technologies, an AR application, and a website (non-AR), and then compare the different experiences. The research used thematic analysis and a theoretical framework, which consisted of Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, hedonic and utilitarian aspects. The findings showed that the participants had a similar experience with the AR application. Although offering a good overview of the different virtual objects that were visualized, it was limited by the functions offered to the user, thus reducing the perceived usefulness. The experience with the technology was described as new and entertaining, with the visual features being more inspiring and amplifying creativity. However, the AR application was perceived as less practical, more time-consuming, and not as effective during the use by the participants. The technology was generally perceived as difficult to use. Compared to their elderly counterparts, many of the younger participants quickly understood how to use the application. The research contributes with new knowledge from a user group that has not been in focus before, with new insights regarding similarities and differences from different age groups' experience of AR. The research presents how age as a factor affects the user experience of technology in relation to perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, hedonic and utilitarian aspects.