What drives metaverse retail environments (non)usage? A behavioral reasoning theory perspective
本研究基于行为推理理论，通过混合方法（100名用户定性访谈+337份问卷定量分析）发现，逃避现实、社交互动、趣味性和沉浸感是驱动用户使用元宇宙零售环境的主要原因，而不准确性、信息过载、隐私担忧和疲劳是阻碍因素，同时媒体消费和数字素养调节这些关系。
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. • Reveals the role of personal values and beliefs in motivators and barriers to engaging with metaverse retail spaces. • Pinpoints escapism, social interaction, playfulness, and immersiveness as primary drivers of the metaverse retail engagement. • Identifies inaccuracy, information overload, privacy concerns and fatigue as key barriers. • Demonstrates how digital literacy and media use shape the link between motivations and intent in metaverse retail engagement. • Offers insights on interaction dynamics, providing strategies for managers to enhance engagement in metaverse retail.