Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of augmented reality (AR) on retailing by conducting thematic analysis on variables studied in the existing literature. Design/methodology/approach The data set includes 232 variables studied in 35 research papers, collected using well-defined search and inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis is used to identify patterns in the data set. Findings The eight themes emerging from the analysis are arranged in the form of a conceptual framework to model the decision-making process of users. The position of themes in the model is determined by the most dominant variable type in the theme and by employing the technology acceptance model as the reference paradigm. Research limitations/implications The current review contributes to the advancement of literature by setting a research agenda for scholars working in the field of consumer behavior and human–computer interaction. Future research should improve the generalizability of the research by replicating the method and testing the conceptual framework on other immersive technologies. Practical implications Marketers should incorporate AR technology into their experiential marketing strategies. Since integrating and managing AR technology requires expertise, organizations are advised to make use of existing toolkits or collaborate with technology companies to develop their offerings. Originality/value To maintain the uniqueness of the current study from other papers focusing on existing research done in this area, this review considers only studies using statistical techniques to study consumer behavior pertaining to AR in retail. The study uses an unconventional method for identifying patterns in the existing literature by employing theories and frameworks as the basis of classification.