Shopping in Virtual Worlds: Perceptions, Motivations, and Behavior

摘要: ABSTRACT Avatars are spending millions of dollars yearly on shopping for virtual items in free-form Virtual Worlds (VWs), such as Second Life. Some studies explaining World users' motivations to spend real money from a consumer point view only available game-oriented VWs and not the type. By means conducting in-depth interviews with Life shoppers, current paper: (1) explores added value perceived VWs, (2) discusses VW relation those well traditional online motivations, (3) reveals 'reside' finally (4) classifies profiles shoppers into distinct shopper types considering their behavior store preferences. Keywords: Worlds, items, typology, 1. Introduction (abbreviated VWs) 3D Internet-based simulated environments that can be categorized worlds (Bainbridge, 2007). While users have goal achieve (e.g., Warcraft), mimic world no specific imposed by World, Life, There Meet Me (Hassouneh Brengman, 2011). As Q3 2009, total number registered is believed around 671 million worldwide they $1.8 billion assets (KZero, 2009; Guo Barnes, In SL) alone, $150 worth were traded between residents third quarter up 54% same period year earlier (Linden, 2009). Reperes (2007), marketing research company, surveyed 419 SL about purchase habits. They found constitutes popular activity 72% stating go at least weekly over half them making basis. (Lehdonvirta, 2005; 2009) type, SL. The study aims fill this gap exploring avatars' addition perceptions behavior, Worlds. Many entrepreneurs been attracted (here after referred setting stores sell products shoes, furniture, food ) services event management) make profit. For some them, source income (Au, 2009a), several business owners earning more than US 2009b). Real businesses, alike, setting-up Nike book retailer Snowbooks offering and/or sale, aim build brands, grow revenues (Arakji Lang, 2008). able create successful presence in-world (i.e., World), many failed attract customers stores. Reeboks' which allows custom versions Reebok shoes avatars themselves, successfully distributed 27,000 pairs digital its' first 10 weeks (Tedeschi, Other however, had re-launch, Circuit City (Nino, 2008), or end presence, American Apparel (DMD et al., Such failures suggest new channel has its own rules unique customer needs should understood before engaging any related in-world. possessing characteristics, share lot elements retail (Brengman Hassouneh, …