Dabija, D.C.; Campian, V. & Pop R-A. (2026) Oeconomia Copernicana [Core Economics, Q2]

Publicat: 20 Aprilie 2026

Dabija, D.C.; Campian, V. & Pop R-A. (2026) Welcome to the virtual mall: What makes consumers click ‘buy’ in metaverse worlds?. Oeconomia Copernicana , 17(1), 257-294.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.4151

✓ Publisher: Institute of Economic Research (Poland)
✓ Categories: Economics
✓ Article Influence Score (AIS): 0.691 (2024) / Q2

Abstract:
The trajectory of virtual shopping has evolved beyond two-dimensional interfaces toward highly immersive, three-dimensional environments. As the retail sector pivots into the metaverse, delineating the fundamental shifts in consumer behavior becomes paramount. Traditional technology acceptance models frequently lack the gran-ularity required to capture the sensory and psychological depth inherent in virtual reality, necessitating a more sophisticated theoretical approach to decode how users interact with high-fidelity digital storefronts.
This research proposes a novel, multidimensional framework designed to capture the inherent complexity of consumer decision-making within immersive virtual shopping contexts. By synthesizing technological affordances with psychological evaluations, this investigation seeks to address a pivotal research question: To what extent do latent tech-nological drivers and cognitive-perceptual factors interact to determine consumer adoption within 3D spatial retail? By answering this, the study unravels the mechanisms through which virtual store environments catalyse behavioural intentions.
A structured online survey was administered across Romania employing a virtual snowball sampling technique, stratified by three distinct age cohorts: under 25, 25–44, and above 45. The proposed conceptual model was statistically validated through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), facilitated by SmartPLS version 4.0. This analytical approach was selected for its robustness in handling complex structural relation-ships and its efficiency in estimating path coefficients within multi-construct frameworks.
This research underscores that metaverse store perception is a foun-dational antecedent in shaping consumer experiences and behavioural outcomes within virtu-al shopping environments. A positive valuation of the storefront enhances key experiential attributes—specifically interactivity, social engagement, and environmental authenticity—which collectively serve as pivotal drivers for metaverse shopping adoption. Concurrently, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistants emerge as a critical mechanism for en-hancing consumer uptake of metaverse shopping platforms. Conversely, contrary to some extant literature, avatar characteristics and social interaction demonstrate a negligible influ-ence on consumers' behavioural intentions toward metaverse shopping. The study adopts the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to elucidate how specific metaverse stimuli—namely, the technological and perceptual affordances of a virtual store—shape consumers’ internal states and emotional evaluations (Organism), such as im-mersion-related affect and trust. The resulting behavioural response encompasses the propen-sity to engage in metaverse shopping and the subsequent intention to embrace virtual retail paradigms.

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