From Hidden to Seen: How Price Visibility Redefines Virtual Shopping
(A2026-131924)

AUTHORS

Farhan Mutaqin, University of Edinburgh; Ben Marder, University of Edinburgh; Ewelina Lacka, University of Edinburgh Business School

ABSTRACT

As immersive retail environments become central to omni-channel strategies, understanding how consumers process price information in virtual stores is increasingly critical. While clear pricing is typically seen as beneficial, in many virtual retail settings price cues are only partially visible or subtly integrated into the display, making them less noticeable. This study investigates how price tag visibility shapes consumers’ intention to add products to their shopping cart in virtual fashion retail. A scenario-based experiment with 300 participants compared conditions where price tags were either clearly visible or hidden. Results indicate that higher price visibility significantly enhances both price understanding and purchase intention. These findings underscore how subtle design elements can influence consumer decision-making and contribute to omni-channel retailing literature by showing how virtual store design strengthens price communication and encourages purchase behaviour.