As the importance of online virtual spaces increases due to COVID-19, interest in online virtual spaces using 4th industrial technology is increasing. Accordingly, the metaverse that combines virtual and real is becoming an issue. In the fashion industry, marketing using online is gradually increasing, and various attempts are being made by converging with the metaverse to provide new and enjoyable experiences to customers. This study looked at the impact of customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment and brand loyalty in a metaverse environment where utilization is increasing due to COVID-19 and technological development. For the analysis data of this study, a survey was conducted on the users who experienced the metaverse platform Zepeto's ' BVLGARI World'. As a result of examining the effect of the customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment, and brand loyalty in a metaverse environment, some of the customer experiences affect customer satisfaction, and the proposed hypothesis was partially accepted. In addition, it was confirmed that customer satisfaction affects affective commitment and brand loyalty, and affective commitment affects brand loyalty. In this study, we examine the impact of the customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment, and brand loyalty in the metaverse environment, and identify what is needed for more active convergence and activation of the metaverse and fashion brands. Also, we provide practical implications to people who involved in the metaverse and the fashion industry.

The aim of this paper is to find which types of pop-up store positively influence consumers and to analyze the factors that affect brand attitude and behavioral intention across different fashion pop-up store formats. The data was collected from 217 respondents in their 20s and 30s and then subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, oneway ANOVA and regression analysis using SPSS Statistics. The results of the oneway ANOVA test indicated that the 'Pop-up store of alliance with different kinds of industries' is the most effective type for increasing brand preference and brand recognition amongst consumers. Some further insights can be made from the regression analysis results. There are differences between pop-up store formats in terms of the cognitive factors influencing brand attitude and behavioral intention. Moreover, there are differences between pop-up store formats in terms of brand attitude factors influencing behavioral intention. Through the results of this study, fashion companies can determine the best type of pop-up store to open depending on their aims. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights to fashion marketers, helping them to determine the appropriate factors to consider when planning fashion pop-up stores. Academically, this paper contributes to expanding the range of research on fashion pop-up retail by studying consumer experiences of different pop-up store types.

Despite the growing need for marketers in luxury retail to provide memorable customer experiences via their retail outlets, research investigating the effectiveness of experiential stores on brand and behavioral outcomes is scarce. To address this gap, we investigate the effectiveness of pop up brand stores, which we define as temporary stores that are open for a limited period of time, representing an increasingly popular experiential store format in the luxury fashion and automotive industry. However, pop up brand stores not only reflect one of the latest developments in experiential retailing, but they are also seen as an effective marketing tool to reach new target groups which might perceive traditional luxury as antiquated or obsolete. Collecting data from 345 visitors of two pop up brand stores of a luxury car brand in the US and the UK, we find that three store characteristics – hedonic shopping value, store uniqueness, and store atmosphere – either directly or through brand experience exert a positive effect on word of mouth (WOM) intentions towards the brand. Whereas hedonic shopping value and store atmosphere strengthen the customer’s experience with the luxury brand, store uniqueness, surprisingly, does not. Using brand familiarity as a moderating variable, we further unveil that pop up brand stores create positive WOM in both existing and new target groups. Our empirical results offer novel insights for researchers and marketers, as we quantify the effects of experiential store characteristics on brand experience and WOM, shed light on the role of brand experience in inducing behavioral intentions, as well as illustrate that pop up brand stores are an exceptional opportunity for luxury brands to reach existing and new target groups alike. We argue that pop up brand stores should thoughtfully be considered as a complement to traditional luxury retail and as an alternative to flagship stores.