Virtual Reality Store Research Articles

How Immersive Retailing Affects Consumers’ Urge to Buy: Impacts of Self-Imagery, Positive Emotion, and Self-Relevance

The rise of immersive retailing, which employs cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality (VR), has accelerated empirical research on consumer behavior in these new retail contexts. This research examines how VR retail experiences cause consumers’ impulsive buying through two studies to add knowledge from multiple perspectives, including the dark side of this experience. Study 1 revealed that non-immersive VR fashion stores (i.e., using desktop computer system) can elaborate on consumers’ self-imagery processing, which results in pleasure and the urge to buy. In addition, processing varied according to the level of self-relevance to the VR store; higher self-relevance activates a more elaborate self-imagery. However, Study 2, which compared non-immersive and immersive VR system (i.e., using head-mounted display and controllers) for experiencing a virtual fashion store, showed that immersive VR media system can evoke a higher level of self-imagery process of urge to buy even when self-relevance is relatively low, owing to its technological ability to facilitate high telepresence. These findings suggest that the impact of the VR store experience can be expanded to include impulsive/compulsive purchases.

Psychophysiological Investigation of the Effects of Virtual Reality, the New Dimension of Retail Shopping, on Generation Z

Virtual reality has begun to show itself in many areas of our lives as its accessibility becomes easier. Especially in recent years, it has been observed that investments have been made in this field in the retail sector and many brands have created virtual reality stores. The research emphasizes the need for new studies on consumer behavior in virtual reality stores, the new interface of the retail sector, in order to shed light on future investments. The attitude of Generation Z, who grew up with technology and is open to innovation, towards the virtual reality store is important because they are the consumers of today and the future. Given this situation, in the current study, the attitude of Generation Z towards the virtual reality store is examined psychophysiologically. The physiological outcomes of university students (n = 40) between the ages of 18–29 during the shopping experience in a virtual reality store were analyzed with electrodermal activity (EDA) and photoplethysmography (PPG) research techniques. Physiological data were analyzed by comparing them with the data obtained from the Socio-Demographic characteristics and the Hedonic and Utilitarian Consumption Behaviors Scale. In line with the findings in the study, the psychophysiological effects of the virtual reality store on Generation Z participants did not show significant differences in terms of demographic characteristics and hedonic and utilitarian consumption behaviors. However, the increase in the heart rate averages of the majority of the participants during the experience was significant. This is attributed to the fact that virtual reality adresses both hedonic and utilitarian consumption.

Visual attention and product interaction: a neuroscientific study on purchase across two product categories in a virtual store

PurposeThis research analyses the searching, interacting and purchasing behavior of shoppers seeking semidurable and fast-moving consumer goods in an immersive virtual reality (VR) store, showing how physical examinations and visual inspections relate to purchases.Design/methodology/approachAround 60 participants completed two forced-purchase tasks using a head-mounted display with visual and motor-tracking systems. A second study using a pictorial display of the products complemented the VR study.FindingsThe findings indicate differences in shopping behavior for the two product categories, with semidurable goods requiring greater inspection and deliberation than fast-moving consumer goods. In addition, visual inspection of the shelf and products was greater than a physical examination through virtual handling for both product categories. The paper also presents relationships between visual inspections and product interactions during the searching stage of purchase decisions.Originality/valueThe research consists of two types of implicit measures in this study: eye-tracking and hand-product interactions. This study reveals the suitability of implicit measures for evaluating consumer behavior in VR stores.

A Study on the VR Interface Design for Children Products and its Influence Towards China’s Consumerism

The present study intended to evaluate the impact of the virtual reality store interface, which comprised of two dimensions, virtual spatial cues (VR) and interactivity (INT), on Chinese customers’ purchase decisions which included the preference for product hedonic attributes (HD) and purchase intention (PIP). Secondly, the mediating role of perceived product design which encompassed aesthetics (PRAS), functionality (PFUN), and symbolism (SYMM), was investigated. A quantitative approach was implemented, combined with a survey-based strategy for data collection. The criteria for respondents included parents having children who are VR game users, and the age range of the children was between 10 to 16 years. A sample of 312 respondents was analysed with the use of statistical software. The researcher employed the prominent methodology of structural equation modelling to evaluate the proposedhypotheses. The findings demonstrated that INT positively and significantly impacts HD, whereas INT and PIN were found to have an insignificant association. VR was found to impact HD and PIN positively and significantly among virtual Chinese consumers. In terms of the mediation analysis, PRAS significantly mediated the association between INT and PIN and VR and PIN, whereas the negative mediation of PRAS in the association between INT and HD and VR and HD was not validated. Regarding the mediation effect of SYMM, it was revealed that SYMM played a significant mediating role in the four proposed associations. Lastly, the mediation effect of PFUN was found to be significant in the association between INT and HD and VR and HD, whereas PFUN was an insignificant mediator in the association between INT and PIN and VR and PIN. The study offers substantial and valuable insights into virtual consumer perception regarding product design and purchase decisions for theoretical and practical applications.

가상현실(VR) 패션스토어 체험만족과 사용의도 예측

Background/Objectives: This study was to predict experience satisfaction and use intention in the context of shopping at the virtual reality (VR) fashion store. Specific objectives were to compare regression models on the predictors of experience satisfaction and use intention between different types of VR devices, such as Head Mounted Display (HMD) vs. Personal Computer (PC).
 Methods: The VR store of fashion brand X was selected as a stimulus for experimental design with immers ive (HMD) and non-immersive (PC) types. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to measure technological attributes, mental imagery, choice heuristics, experience satisfaction, and use intentions. Two groups of participants were separately experienced the VR store with HMD and PC. A total of 262 usable data were obtained from consumers who were aged from 20s. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, t-test, and regression analysis were used via SPSS program.
 Results: The control and vividness were significant predictors of experience satisfaction in the immer sive type, while technological attributes and mental imagery were significant predictors in the non- immersive type. Also, there were differences on the predictors of use intentions between two types. The non-immersive type had a higher prediction power than did the immersive type.
 Conclusion/Implications: This study discussed managerial implications for the strategic VR store management in the fashion retail context.

Furnishing your home? The impact of voice assistant avatars in virtual reality shopping: A neurophysiological study

This study provides insights into the informational cues consumers use in virtual reality (VR)-based retail shopping experiences. The aim of the study is to identify the number and type (extrinsic versus intrinsic) of informational cues that most attract consumers' visual attention, and that are most important in their purchase decision-making in a VR store, with special emphasis on the role of voice assistant (VA) avatars. A sample of 152 Spanish consumers participated in a laboratory-based 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. The study's main stimulus was a recreation, in both 2D and VR, of a living room in a home. The participants were asked to view the recreation using either a computer screen (2D) or a head-mounted display (HMD). Clickstream data, neurophysiological measures (eye-tracking and GSR) and self-reported measures were used to test the hypotheses. We found that consumers used more informational cues in the product choice process in the 2D online store than in the VR store, but that the VR store generated higher flow state; that the type of cue used depended on the type of platform and that the presence of VA avatars did not influence the number of informational cues consumers used but made them pay more visual attention to the products, and evoked higher arousal.

Paying attention in metaverse: an experiment on spatial attention allocation in extended reality shopping

PurposeMetaverse, that is extended reality (XR)-based technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), are increasingly believed to facilitate fundamental human practice in the future. One of the vanguards of this development has been the consumption domain, where the multi-modal and multi-sensory technology-mediated immersion is expected to enrich consumers' experience. However, it remains unclear whether these expectations have been warranted in reality and whether, rather than enhancing the experience, metaverse technologies inhibit the functioning and experience, such as cognitive functioning and experience.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a 2 (VR: yes vs no) × 2 (AR: yes vs no) between-subjects laboratory experiment. A total of 159 student participants are randomly assigned to one condition — a brick-and-mortar store, a VR store, an AR store and an augmented virtuality (AV) store — to complete a typical shopping task. Four spatial attention indicators — visit shift, duration shift, visit variation and duration variation — are compared based on attention allocation data converted from head movements extracted from recorded videos during the experiments.FindingsThis study identifies three essential effects of XR technologies on consumers' spatial attention allocation: the inattention effect, acceleration effect and imbalance effect. Specifically, the inattention effect (the attentional visit shift from showcased products to the environmental periphery) appears when VR or AR technology is applied to virtualize the store and disappears when AR and VR are used together. The acceleration effect (the attentional duration shift from showcased products to the environmental periphery) exists in the VR store. Additionally, AR causes an imbalance effect (the attentional duration variation increases horizontally among the showcased products).Originality/valueThis study provides valuable empirical evidence of how VR and AR influence consumers' spatial bias in attention allocation, filling the research gap on cognitive function in the metaverse. This study also provides practical guidelines for retailers and XR designers and developers.

가상현실(VR) 상호작용성에 따른 촉각적 심상화가 이중 쇼핑가치에 미치는 영향

Background/Objectives: This study investigated the factors that drive the dual shopping values of consumers in virtual reality (VR) fashion store environments, focusing on the role of haptic mental imagery as a mental simulation. It examined how perceived interactivity can enhance haptic mental imagery and increase the vividness of overall mental images, ultimately leading to an increased evaluation of utilitarian and hedonic shopping values. Methods: A professional research company recruited 330 participants in their 20s and 30s. Participants experienced a VR fashion store to browse items they were interested in purchasing, after which they responded to questionnaires online. A total of 319 responses were used for further analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS 23.0 was employed to test the hypotheses and multi-group comparisons. Results: Interactivity increased the participants’ haptic mental imagery and the vividness of their overall mental images. Haptic mental imagery helped enhance perceived imagery vividness. Both imagery-related variables had positive effects on the two shopping values. Differences in shopping orientation and gender were also observed in the relations among variables. Conclusion/Implications: This research provides insights into the impact of interactivity and the role of haptic mental imagery and vivid imagery in shaping VR store consumers’ shopping values.

VR 온라인 쇼핑몰에서 햅틱 디바이스가 제품평가에 미치는 영향 - 소파 구매 행위를 중심으로 -

Due to the continuous growth of the online store market, which has been futher accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, online stores have become an essential part of our daily lives. However, the limitation of online shopping is that customers cannot directly touch and feel the products. Product information plays a significant role in customers’ purchasing decisions, especially for expensive and low-frequency products such as furniture, where customers make an effort to obtain more accurate information. This paper aims to explore the current state of haptic devices in VR stores and their impact on customer experiences and purchasing decisions. Specifically, the objective of this study is to develop a hpatic device that can convey tactile information about products in a VR (Virtual Reality) store and to confirm whether this device enhances customers’ VR shopping experience. As a result, we developed the haptic device HAPsurface, which delivers the surface texture of products to the user’s fingertips in a VR environment. We then conducted a comparative experiment (N=66) by creating an experimental VR store and providing customers with information about the texture of a sofa to confirm whether customers have more confidence in their purchasing decisions. The results of the experiment confirm that tactile information can have a significant impact on customers’ shopping experiences in VR.

가상현실(VR) 패션 스토어 환경에서의 소비자 휴리스틱 정보처리과정의 구조모델

Background/Objectives: This study aims to estimate the structural model of consumer heuristic information processing in the context of virtual reality(VR) fashion store. Specific objectives are to identify underlying dimensions of mental imagery, to examine the effect of mental imagery on telepresence, and to predict consumer choice heuristic for purchasing fashion products in the VR store environment
 Methods: The VR store of fashion brand X was selected as a stimulus in the VR experiment. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to measure mental imagery, telepresence and choice heuristics. By online survey, a total of 319 usable responses was obtained from consumers (female=169, males=150) who were aged from 20 to 39 years old.
 Results: The mental imagery was consisted of three factors, such as elaboration, haptic imagery, and spatial imagery. Estimated structural model showed that the elaboration and spatial imagery had positive effects on telepresence. Also, the telepresence influenced choice heuristics(e.g., intuition based heuristic and experience based heuristic), suggesting the mediating effect of telepresence between mental imagery and choice heuristics for fashion products at the VR store.
 Conclusion/Implications: This study provides insights into understanding mechanism of information processing in the VR experience. Also, managerial implications were discussed for applications of VR technology into strategic retail management in the fashion markets.

Recognizing shopper demographics from behavioral responses in a virtual reality store

The use of virtual reality (VR) technology in the context of retail is a significant trend in current consumer research, as it offers market researchers a unique opportunity to measure purchase behavior more realistically. Yet, effective methods for assessing the virtual shopping experience based on consumer’s demographic characteristics are still lacking. In this study, we examine the validity of behavioral biometrics for recognizing the gender and age of customers in an immersive VR environment. We used behavior measures collected from eye-tracking, body posture (head and hand), and spatial navigation sources. Participants (n = 57) performed three tasks involving two different purchase situations. Specifically, one task focused on free browsing through the virtual store, and two other tasks focused on product search. A set of behavioral features categorized as kinematic, temporal, and spatial domains was processed based on two strategies. First, the relevance of such features in recognizing age and gender with and without including the spatial segmentation of the virtual space was statistically analyzed. Second, a set of implicit behavioral features was processed and demographic characteristics were recognized using a statistical supervised machine learning classifier algorithm via a support vector machine. The results confirmed that both approaches were significantly insightful for determining the gender and age of buyers. Also, the accuracy achieved when applying the machine learning classifier (> 70%) indicated that the combination of all metrics and tasks was the best classification strategy. The contributions of this work include characterizing consumers in v-commerce spaces according to the shopper’s profile.

The effect of touch simulation in virtual reality shopping

This study aims to explore the effect of touch simulation on virtual reality (VR) store satisfaction mediated by VR shopping self-efficacy and VR shopping pleasure. The moderation effects of the autotelic and instrumental need for touch between touch simulation and VR store satisfaction are also explored. Participants wear a head-mounted display VR device (Oculus Go) in a controlled laboratory environment, and their VR store experience is recorded as data. All participants’ responses (n = 58) are analyzed using SPSS 20.0 for descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and the Process macro model analysis. The results show that touch simulation positively influences VR store satisfaction, which is mediated by the self-efficacy and by the dual path of the self-efficacy and the pleasure. Furthermore, the relation between touch simulation and pleasure is moderated by need for touch. For individuals with a high level of autotelic need for touch, the effect of touch simulation on the pleasure is heightened. However, instrumental need for touch does not moderate the path of touch simulation on the self-efficacy.

How escapism leads to behavioral intention in a virtual reality store with background music?

Despite the technological advances, empirical studies to understand how VR influences consumer behavior have been limited to date. This study aims (i) to extend the S(Stimuli)-O (Organism)-R (Response) framework by considering escapism as stimuli and incorporating vividness and telepresence as an organism and (ii) examine the role of calm versus upbeat music tempo in the background. Based on an experimental study of between-groups factorial design with two hundred participants, the results offer support to our conceptual framework. Escapism, which functions as experience, stimulates the consumers’ cognitive and affective state that increase pleasure. Subsequently, the consumers’ sense of pleasure heightens the vividness and presence of the virtual reality store, which positively affects their intentions. The link between presence and behavioral intention is stronger with calm music in the background. On the contrary, the link between arousal and pleasure is stronger when consumers listen to upbeat music in the virtual store.

Consumer store experience through virtual reality: its effect on emotional states and perceived store attractiveness

Based on the stimuli-organism-response model, this study aims to examine whether consumers’ store experience through virtual reality (VR), compared to website experience, can attract them enough to perceive the online store as appealing. Two types of stimuli were developed for the experiments: consumers’ VR store experience (106 data) (i.e., having respondents experience 360-degree-based VR store videos recorded at a fashion retailer) and store website experience (107 data) (i.e., having respondents experience the same store’s website). The results revealed that relative to an ordinary store website, consumers’ VR store experience evoked positive emotions and increased perceived store attractiveness. This study also discovered that store familiarity does not moderate the relationship between the two store experience types and evoked emotions, implying that VR technology is effective regardless of consumers’ familiarity with a store. Text analytics were also utilized, providing additional insights about their VR store experiences. This study suggests an effective method for online retailers to emulate an attractive store environment and entice consumers through VR, regardless of the retailers’ fame. Specifically, it demonstrates the effectiveness of VR over website in enhancing store attractiveness, an under-studied area.

Investigating the impact of shopper personality on behaviour in immersive Virtual Reality store environments

The increasing availability of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) hardware in private households has opened up significant opportunities for innovations in online retailing. Online retailers can develop realistic, albeit simulated, three-dimensional retail environments that use immersive elements to create a more exciting online shopping experience. Nevertheless, to date, very little is known about how observed shopper behaviour in immersive VR store environments compares to existing knowledge in the physical or other online retail research literature. To that end, this paper focuses on human personality traits and whether these translate to familiar observations of in-store shopper behaviour. Specifically, the research examined the ‘Big Five’ personality traits – agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience, and their impact on purchase behaviours such as product inspection time, proportion of private label purchases, and impulsive buying. It is further investigated how the purchase behaviours impact the outcomes of the shopping trip. The results revealed a variety of expected relationships between purchase metrics and the outcomes of the shopping trip; however, in stark contrast to the findings of extant studies, shopper personality did not show any impacts on the investigated purchase behaviours. Further research is needed to determine whether this failure to replicate past studies of shopper personality was, in fact, due to differences in the store environment or rather due to the moving from survey-based method of shopper data collection to naturalistic observation. Nonetheless, this finding has important implications for e-retailing strategies and market research practices.

A STUDY ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS 3D VIRTUAL REALITY SHOPPING

An innovative technology application that creates textures of real store shopping experience may generate a rapid momentum in the e-retailing sector. In virtual reality (VR) stores consumers can not only virtually walk anywhere, but they can also interact with the virtual reality store by, right, left, up and down and looking around thereby viewing the shop. There is a comparison difference between existing in user boundaries and Computer-generated systems in 3D environment. creating a simulated artificial world, the computer virtually makes sensory feelings as much as possible, like hearing, vision, touch, even smell. The virtual reality web store could redefine the experience of online shopping and allows in creating an immersive experience that renovate the physical shopping voyage, that from home or anywhere that customers desire. Virtual Reality in Retailing is an innovative proposal that helps the customer to look around the store with a complete 360-degree view along with the controller that helps in the purchase. perceived entertaining and fun that felt by the shoppers to the extent to which online shopping they do. Better informational base helps the consumers to make more informed decisions that make them increase their satisfaction in the online shopping process perceived ease of use could implicit as the degree to which the online shopping customer have faith in that shopping will be free. the effect of the price perception and found impact of price perceptions on behavioral-intention. privacy is a conscious effort of e-retailor in dealing with customer data and information.

An exploratory investigation of shopper behaviour in an immersive virtual reality store

AbstractShopper research has long been undertaken with physical simulated stores and desktop‐operated virtual stores. However, recent developments in motion‐tracked virtual reality offer a range of new possibilities for research using immersive walk‐around virtual simulated stores. To date, there is little knowledge published on the authenticity of shopper behaviour in such immersive virtual environments. The present study therefore reports exploratory results from 153 multicategory shopping trips conducted in an immersive virtual convenience store. Observed shopper metrics and theoretical effects are compared with equivalent data obtained from published sources and found to be consistent across all measures. Specifically, shoppers purchase a plausible share of private label brands, more private label brands in lower consumption pleasure product categories, more products from higher compared with lower shelf positions, make a plausible proportion of impulsive purchases, and spend less time inspecting familiar versus unfamiliar brands. Further, time in‐store, total spending, and product handling time are higher for women than for men. These exploratory findings show that participants continue to exhibit realistic shopper behaviours in an immersive virtual simulated store. Such stores are therefore a cost‐effective alternative to other methods for measuring consumer behaviour. They offer significant potential for innovative experimental designs in consumer research, as well as potential for future use as a digital shopping channel.

How 3D Virtual Reality Stores Can Shape Consumer Purchase Decisions: The Roles of Informativeness and Playfulness

The recent rise of consumer virtual reality (VR) hardware raises important questions in the field of online marketing: what makes 3D VR more informative and playful than conventional 2D media such as a still image and a video, and how it affects the online purchase decision-making process. In this study, we mainly focus on three interface features—interactivity, visual–spatial cues, and graphics quality. We explore how each of these three interface features enhances playfulness and informativeness of shopping interface and further influences subsequent product evaluation and purchase intention. The results of the study provide two meaningful insights. First, interactivity and visual–spatial cues significantly enhance perceived informativeness and playfulness; however, the role of graphics quality was found to be more critical for 2D displays than for 3D VR environment. Second, informativeness and playfulness influence the purchase decision-making process in distinct ways. More specifically, a playful interface may enhance consumers' preference for hedonic product benefits (e.g., a stylish and attractive design), whereas informativeness is a more important explanatory variable for subsequent purchase intentions. We discuss the theoretical contribution and managerial insights the research provides for online retailers and designers.

How to evoke consumer approach intention toward VR stores? Sequential mediation through telepresence and experiential value

This study explores the roles of vividness and interactivity—two technological dimensions of virtual reality mediums—for consumers’ approach intention toward immersive virtual reality stores. In addition to telepresence, a well-established variable in explaining the effectiveness of virtual mediums, this study proposes experiential value as the second mediator that can lead to successful consumer experiences in commercial virtual environments. We recruited 101 volunteers who were willing to experience a virtual reality store with head-mounted displays. The results show that participants who perceive higher vividness and interactivity of an immersive virtual reality store tend to show stronger approach intentions, and that such positive influences are serially mediated by perceived telepresence and experiential shopping value. In multiple-step mediation analysis, the perceived experiential shopping value is found to be the key determinant in evoking consumers’ approach intention. The study concludes that virtual reality stores should be built in a way that provides experiential value by utilizing strong telepresence to achieve positive consumers’ approach intention. Suggestions for further research and practical applications are also discussed.

Virtual reality, real reactions?: Comparing consumers' perceptions and shopping orientation across physical and virtual-reality retail stores

Virtual Reality (VR) is largely associated with a positive potential in terms of both higher efficiency and higher escapism for the consumer. Whereas previous research demonstrated the importance of consumers' hedonic and utilitarian shopping orientations in traditional channels, this study examines the potential of a VR store to elicit hedonism and utilitarianism. Combining literature on VR, shopping orientation, and retailing, we develop a multiple moderated mediation model. Then, in a quasi-experimental between-subjects design, we measure levels of hedonism, utilitarianism, store satisfaction, and perceived assortment size. Participants were exposed to the same shelf in a VRbased and a physical store. We found that VR has a negative impact on satisfaction that is moderated by perceived assortment size, and that VR elicits both utilitarianism and hedonism, which mediate the impact of the channel on store satisfaction differently but equally. Overall, consumers reported high levels of all measured outcome variables after being exposed to the VR experience. In addition, behaviors in the VR-based and physical stores compare quite well.