How visual perception influences hedonic shopping experience in a 360-virtual store?
(A2022-107518)

AUTHORS

Nino Ruusunen, University of Eastern Finland; Heli Hallikainen, University of Eastern Finland; Tommi Laukkanen, University of Eastern Finland

ABSTRACT

Digital sensory marketing has become of key interest for marketing practitioners and scholars, but contemporary online stores do little to stimulate the human senses. Visual perception is essential when consumers shop online, and in this regard, 360-virtual stores represent the evolution of the future, providing consumers with a more sensory-rich shopping experience. Grounded on media richness theory, we explore how visual perception influences hedonic shopping experience in a 360-virtual store? Based on an online experiment with 293 responses, we demonstrate that visual perception enhances consumers’ hedonic shopping experience. We further find that the time spent in a 360-virtual store strengthens the effects among consumers who have a low tendency for impulse buying while the time spent weakens the effects among consumers who have a high impulse buying tendency. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of sensory perceptions and time spent on consumers’ shopping experiences in a 360-virtual store.