With the increasing popularity and attention towards virtual stores, the present study examines how consumers' perception of spatial and human crowdedness affects consumers' behavioral and attitudinal intention to shop at the virtual store through positive emotional arousals. Using two between-subject experiments (crowdedness: low spatial x high; low human x high), 171 participants were randomly assigned to each condition. The results demonstrated highly crowded virtual space with more merchandise creates a consumer’s positive emotional arousal, which leads to a positive attitude and satisfaction. Further, consumers perceive positive social crowdedness (i.e., when other shoppers are present) develops excitement among consumers who may entice positive attitude and satisfaction. Findings suggest that retailers should develop stimulating virtual stores.

The present study choose to conduct consumer behavioral research in Metaverse situation, explores factors that influence consumer shopping enjoyment and purchase intention from product, service and technology perceptive. The research team gathered the primary data through questionnaire subjecting to Chinese consumers (n=300) who know about TaoBao future city which themes on virtual buying in Metaverse. In addition, structural equation modeling is employed to examine the hypothesized relationship among the variables. The result shows that all the driving factors positive effects consumer shopping enjoyment and then influence purchase intention positively. The finding is significantly fundamental to establish theoretical framework future about virtual shopping in Metaverse, and help marketers realize how to set virtual stores in Metaverse to enhance consumer shopping experience so that they could improve consumer purchase intention in the context.

As advances in digital technologies (e.g., Apps, QR code, RFID tag) is rapidly changing market environment, marketing researches have extended technology acceptance models in different contexts. Since a supermarket chain, “Home Plus,” in Korea, had opened the first QR code virtual store at the subway platform in 2011, many firms attempt to use QR code technology convergence into their retail business. According to a survey report (Embrian, 2012), QR codes are highly familiar with consumers in Korea, and more than 70% mobile phone users have ever scanned QR codes. Due to ubiquitous nature of QR codes, it is obviously implied that marketers would capitalize the QR code technology on their retail business. Yet, it is skeptical for individuals to adopt QR code virtual store because it is in an infant stage in the retail store context. Therefore, marketers need to predict acceptance and use of QR code virtual store from a consumer perspective. Based on UTAUT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) suggested by Venkatesh et al. (2003; 2012), this study formulated consumer acceptance model with four core determinants of intentions in the context of QR code virtual stores. Specific objectives are (a) identify perceived value in the context of QR code virtual store; (b) test the changes in consumer perceived value by experience over time; and (c) to predict UTAUT model for consumer acceptance to use QR code virtual store across different time points (i.e., from the time of their initial introduction to stages of experience). A longitudinal field study was conducted at the selected QR code virtual stores among individuals using smart phones. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on literatures the context of consumer use of QR code virtual store. The multi-item scales of perceived value (i.e., performance expectancy, effort expectance, social influence, and facilitating condition) were adapted from Venkatesh et al.’s (2003) UTAUT constructs. Four items of behavioral intention to use QR code virtual store was developed. All items were measured on 5 points rating scale. Sample in this study was obtained from volunteers who participated in three different points in time: initial experience (T1), one month after first experience (T2) and three months after second experience (T3). Participants were required to visit to an assigned QR code store and do shopping task per each time. Then, they were asked to answer the questions on a survey, and there were 123 valid respondents to the first stage of the field experiment. As removed the respondents who did not participate in T2 or T3 point, a total of 309 pooled data across time (103 each time) were analyzed. The sample represents more females (n=66, 68%) than males (n=31, 32%), aging from 19 to 29 years (mean=21.58 years). Preliminarily, using the data pooled across times, factor analysis was conducted to identify underlying constructs for all research variables. As expected, a factor analysis of perceived value constructs revealed four factors: social influence (5 items), performance expectancy (5 items), effort expectancy (4 items), and facilitating condition (3 items). All factor loadings were ranged from .63 to .86, and all internal consistency reliabilities were greater than .80. Also, a unidimensional behavioral intention (4 items) confirmed to be valid (factor loadings=.88 to .93) and reliable (α=.94). Therefore, it is deemed that content validity and reliability were within acceptable ranges for further analysis. Of the four perceived value constructs, there were significant differences in the effort expectancy (F=7.10, p<.01) and facilitating condition (F=8.22, p<.001) across times of experience. Specifically, the perceive effort expectancy tended to be increased over time, indicating a difference of means between T1 and T2 at the significant level of .01 as a result of Duncan’s post-hoc test. With respect to facilitating condition, the mean tended to be increased over time, but post hoc test indicated a significant difference between T1 and T2. The perceived effort expectancy and facilitating condition tended to be changed in positive from T2 to T3 point, which were not significantly different. Therefore, the finding implies that the second stage of experience (i.e., one month after first experience) is a critical point for consumers to increase perceived value of QR code virtual store as a new retail technology. Otherwise, the other factors, such as social influence, performance expectancy and behavioral intention were not significantly increased during the three times of experience. To predict UTAUT model for consumer acceptance to use QR code virtual store, behavioral intention was served as dependent variable and the four factors of perceived value were served as independent variables in regression analysis. In the initial experience (T1), behavioral intention was significantly predicted by social influence (β=.39, t=4.42, p<.001) and performance expectancy (β=.46, t=4.44, p<.001), which explained for 57% of total variance (F=32.08, p<.001, adjusted R²=.57). In the second experience (T2), behavioral intention was significantly predicted by three factors, such as social influence (β=.43, t=5.91, p<.001), performance expectancy (β=.35, t=4.10, p<.001) and facilitating condition (β=.15, t=2.32, p<.05), accounted for 68 % of total variance (F=52.35, p<.001, adjusted R²=.68). In the three month after second experience (T3), behavioral intention was significantly predicted by social experience (β=.36, t=3.33, p<.01) and performance expectancy (β=.33, t=3.33, p<.001), accounted for 52 % of total variance (F=27.65, p<.001, adjusted R²=.52). This study supports the UTAUT model for consumer acceptance of QR code virtual store over time from a theoretical perspective. It should be noted that social influence and performance expectancy appears to be a determinant of behavioral intention to use in most situations. The effect of facilitating condition on behavioral intention was only significant when experienced in second stage. In addition, future study needs to expend technology acceptance model of virtual store in conjunction with digital technological attributes across different product categories.

경영학자 Schmitt(1999)는 상품의 마케팅 활동에 있어 그 목적에 대해 고객 체험을 창조하는 것이라 강조하였으며, 기획의 출발점을 체험적 욕구를 충족하는 것이라 주장하였다. 이렇듯 체험의 가치가 높아지는 문화적 현상에 따라 최근 4차 산업 의 중심 동력으로 부상하고 있는 VR(Virtual Reality, 가상현실)기술은 시공간의 제약으로부터 자유로울 수 있으며, 몰입도 높은 가상 체험을 제공한다는 장점으로 인해 체험형 마케팅의 주요 화두로 부상하고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 VR이 마케팅의 수단으로써 적용되었을 때, 이를 체험하는 고객의 브랜드태도와 구매의도의 변화를 연구하 는데 목적을 두고 있다. 실증적 분석을 위해 모 브랜드스토어에서 집행되었던 VR마케팅 사례를 실험대상으로 선정하여 온 라인을 통한 설문조사를 실시하였으며, VR마케팅을 Schmitt의 체험 요소에 대입하여 그 속성을 분류하고 이를 브랜드태도 및 구매의도 간 상관관계를 통해 분석하였다. 총 30문항으로 구성된 설문을 대상자 123명에게 조사하여, 그 결과 결측값을 제외한 94명으로부터 설문 데이터를 수집하였고, 이를 통해 현재 VR 마케팅이 고객의 브랜드태도 및 구매의도의 변화에 어떠한 영향을 미치고 있는지 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구는 Schmitt의 체험이론을 통해 체험마케팅의 일종으로써 VR기술 의 마케팅적 가치를 최초로 분석한 연구라는 점에 의의가 있다. 모집단의 제한적 연령, 온라인 조사에 한정하여 현장 방문 후, 매체를 경험한 체험자를 대상으로 직접 설문을 진행하지 못한 한계가 있었음에도 불구하고 본 연구는 브랜드스토어의 VR마케팅 활용에 대한 이론적 이해의 틀을 마련하며 체험요소 강화를 위한 마케팅 전략 수립에 도움이 될 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.