What drives metaverse retail environments (non)usage? A behavioral reasoning theory perspective

Abstract

The metaverse offers novel opportunities for marketers to captivate users by enhancing their retail experiences in this digital space. Despite extensive discourse on the conceptual aspects of the metaverse, empirical research exploring the factors that motivate or deter user engagement in retail environments remains scarce. This study utilizes Behavioral Reasoning Theory to investigate how consumers' personal values and beliefs, along with their reasons for and against using metaverse retail environments shape their sense of connectedness and intentions to engage with these environments. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study begins with qualitative insights from 100 metaverse users, followed by quantitative analysis of data from 337 participants to empirically validate the proposed framework. The findings reveal escapism, social interaction, playfulness, and immersiveness as primary reasons-for, while inaccuracy, information overload, privacy concerns, and fatigue were identified as reasons-against using the metaverse retail environments. Furthermore, media consumption and digital literacy are shown to moderate these relationships. Collectively, these insights contribute to a foundational understanding of the behavioral intricacies and dynamic interaction patterns within the rapidly evolving metaverse, offering critical implications for managers aiming to optimize user engagement in metaverse retail environments.