Exploring purchase intention in metaverse retailing: Insights from an automotive platform

Haowei Zhang, Yang Lv, Justin Zuopeng Zhang, Linda D. Hollebeek, Abhishek Behl and Sigitas Urbonavicius

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2025, vol. 82, issue C

Abstract: As an integration of cutting-edge digital technologies, the metaverse is set to revolutionize online retailing. This study employed a well-established metaverse automotive retailing platform in China to explore the paths influencing consumers' purchase intention when shopping in the metaverse. We adopted structural equation modeling to analyze the data obtained from 348 respondents who were planning to shop for a new car in the metaverse in China. The findings showed that the perceived social presence of others positively influences consumers’ purchase intention, as mediated by their metaverse identification. Moreover, consumer stickiness and the accompaniment of friends were found to positively moderate the effect of perceived social presence on metaverse identification in metaverse retailing. Likewise, product type positively moderated the effect of metaverse identification on purchase intention. Specifically, when consumers intended to purchase environmentally-friendly (vs. unfriendly) vehicles, a stronger positive impact of metaverse identification on purchase intention was observed. The results provide valuable insight for metaverse retailers.

Keywords: Purchase intention; Metaverse; Retailing; E-tailing; Social presence; Metaverse identification; S-O-R theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s0969698924004405

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.104144

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