Cyber Shopping Beyond Boundaries: The Metaverse Revolution in e-Commerce and Consumer Behavior

The metaverse is swiftly flattering an important player in the e-commerce domain. It provides innumerable opportunities and indicates a revolutionary paradigm shift in e-commerce. Online businesses can now create virtual storefronts that enable immersive, lifelike product exploration within the metaverse, in contrast to traditional brick-and-mortar stores that cater to local customers. Current research offers a novel conceptual framework based on theories of interactive media effects and the stimulus–organism–response paradigm to understand consumer purchase intentions in the metaverse. Carefully gathered data from 342 survey participants were then examined using the analytical tools of structural equation modelling (SEM) and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA). The results of the study shed light on how much perceived augmentation and interaction affect consumers’ cognitive and emotive reactions, including feelings of realism, immersion, and telepresence. Remarkably, these reactions have a significant influence on how customers behave. The study’s distinctive worth is found in its creative recommendations, which can help tech firms and metaverse developers improve the purchasing experience in this dynamic digital environment.