Immersive Media and User Experience

Vol. 1 (2025)
Articles

Are Consumers Ready to Shop in Immersive Shopping Environments (ISE)? A Pilot Study to Explore the Factors

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  • Lau Kung Wong
Lau Kung Wong
Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, China

Published 2025-12-22

Keywords

  • Immersive Shopping Environment,
  • Word-of-Mouth,
  • Immersive Experiences,
  • Purchase Intention,
  • social interaction

Abstract

Extended Reality (XR) and immersive technologies are redefining the retail landscape by offering interactive, experiential alternatives to conventional online shopping. Immersive experiences within XR shopping platforms have the potential to create distinctive consumer journeys, enabling social interaction that fosters trust and strengthens purchase intentions. This pilot study investigates factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions and expected experiences within immersive shopping environments (ISE), using Meta’s Horizon Worlds as a case. Specifically, it examines the key roles of immersive experiences, such as social presence, social interaction, and social support, in shaping trust, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), and technology acceptance. Beyond social dimensions, this study conceptually situates ISE within immersive user experience (UX) research, acknowledging the importance of sensory engagement, interactivity, realism, and avatar embodiment as foundational characteristics of immersive commerce.Findings reveal that social presence and support significantly enhance trust, while social interaction does not. This non-significant effect suggests that not all immersive social interactions translate into meaningful trust formation, particularly when avatar-mediated exchanges lack emotional richness or perceived authenticity.

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