-->PONE-D-26-05131-->-->The complete manuscript Unlocking Gen Z Engagement in Phygital Retailing: Evidence from a Multi-Mediated Customer Experience Model-->-->PLOS One

Dear Dr. Wisenthige,

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Dr. Rajesh Kumar

Academic Editor

PLOS One

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Reviewers' comments:

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-->Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: No

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-->2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: No

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-->3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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-->4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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-->5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #1: 1.The study focuses on Sri Lanka’s consumer electronics retail sector, which is valuable for emerging market insights. However, the manuscript could better justify why this context is particularly suitable for studying phygital experiences and Gen Z engagement.

2.The concept of phygital experience is introduced well, but the manuscript could benefit from a clearer operational definition. How do the authors distinguish phygital experience from omnichannel or multichannel retailing?

3.The study uses TAM3 and Service-Dominant Logic as theoretical foundations. While both are relevant, the manuscript could explain more explicitly how these frameworks are integrated to support the proposed model and hypotheses.

4.The hypotheses are logically structured, but some sections rely heavily on citations rather than analytical reasoning. Strengthening the theoretical arguments linking the constructs would improve the rigor of hypothesis development.

5.It is suggested to add article entitled “Kondybayeva et al. A New Concept of Transforming Service: Impact of Generative Voice Chatbots on Customer Satisfaction and Banking Industry Productivity” to the literature review.

6.The use of purposive sampling to collect responses from Gen Z customers is understandable, but it may limit generalizability. The authors should discuss potential sampling bias and justify why this approach was most appropriate for the study.

7.The manuscript mentions that questionnaire items were adapted from prior studies. It would be useful if the authors explained how these items were modified to fit the phygital retail context and whether a pilot test was conducted.

8.Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via QR codes. While practical, this method might exclude less digitally engaged consumers; the authors should discuss how this may influence the sample composition.

9.It is also suggested to add articles entitled “Angkhasakulkiat et al. Digital Literacy for Business Performance: A Study of Entrepreneurs” and “T. K. Q. Nguyen. E-Banking Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction with Moderator Factor” to the literature review.

10.The measurement model shows some factor loadings below 0.70 that were retained. The authors briefly justify this decision, but additional explanation about the theoretical relevance of these items would strengthen the validity argument.

11.The use of PLS-SEM is appropriate for complex models with multiple mediators. However, the manuscript could provide a stronger justification for choosing PLS-SEM instead of covariance-based SEM.

12.The model includes multiple serial mediation paths involving several constructs. While interesting, the manuscript should clarify whether all mediators are theoretically necessary or whether the model risks becoming overly complex.

Reviewer #2: The topic is timely and potentially valuable, particularly because it examines phygital retailing, Gen Z, and an emerging-market context; however, the manuscript requires major revision before it can be considered further. My main concerns are that the paper contains important inconsistencies in reporting and transparency, including conflicting data-availability statements, unclear final analytic sample size because the manuscript reports 480 respondents while the measurement model appears to use 419 cases, and several apparent errors or inconsistencies in the SEM reporting, tables, and interpretations that need to be carefully checked and corrected. In addition, the methods section needs substantially more detail to support reproducibility, especially regarding recruitment, screening, filtering questions, exclusions, and handling of response quality, while the mediation results and hypothesis numbering should be reviewed for consistency across the theory, results, and discussion sections. The manuscript also needs thorough language editing and technical cleanup, including correction of unresolved cross-references, and the conclusions should be phrased more cautiously because the study is based on cross-sectional, self-reported data and therefore supports associations rather than strong causal claims. Overall, the study has potential, but substantial revision is needed in methodological clarity, reporting accuracy, and presentation quality before its contribution can be properly evaluated.

Reviewer #3: The paper lacks relevant statistical tests. The paper lacks amthematical support to the proposed method. A figure for the entire farmework with details is missing in the paper. The paper lacks sufficient contribution for publication.

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If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes:  Assoc.Prof.Dr.Nath Amornpinyo

Reviewer #3: No

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The complete manuscript Unlocking Gen Z Engagement in Phygital Retailing: Evidence from a Multi-Mediated Customer Experience Model

PONE-D-26-05131R1

Dear Dr. Wisenthige,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Dr. Rajesh Kumar

Academic Editor

PLOS One

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

-->Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.-->

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #3: All comments have been addressed

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-->2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

-->3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

-->4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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-->5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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-->6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #1: The Revisions are satisfactory in my opinion, and I would certainly recommend the Editors to Publish the Paper in their esteemed Journal.

Reviewer #2: The revised manuscript has improved substantially and now presents a clearer and more coherent contribution to the literature on phygital retailing and Gen Z customer engagement. The topic is timely and relevant, particularly given the growing importance of integrating physical and digital retail touchpoints in emerging market contexts.

The authors have strengthened the conceptual framing and provided a more structured explanation of the relationships among phygital experience, digital literacy, customer engagement, customer innovation, co-creation, perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty. The use of PLS-SEM is appropriate for examining the proposed multi-mediated model, and the sample size appears adequate for the empirical analysis. The findings are clearly presented and offer useful theoretical and managerial implications for retailers seeking to enhance customer loyalty through hybrid retail experiences.

Overall, the manuscript is well revised, and the authors appear to have addressed the previous comments constructively. I have no further major concerns. The manuscript is suitable for publication after any final editorial or formatting checks required by the journal.

Reviewer #3: The paper is good for publication as it has adequate contribution for publication. The revised version addresses the issues mentioned.

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-->7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review?  For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.-->

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes:  Assoc.Prof.Dr.Nath Amornpinyo

Reviewer #3: No

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