Investigating Virtual Reality's Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior

This report explores the impact of virtual reality (VR) on consumer purchasing behavior, particularly within the fashion industry. It investigates the relationship between VR and consumer shopping activities, critically analyzes the impact of virtual technology on consumer purchasing behavior, and identifies future directions for shopping practices in the virtual world. The research employs a positivism research philosophy and a descriptive research design, utilizing both secondary and primary data. The study examines how VR influences consumers' purchasing habits, focusing on the increasing trend of online shopping and the factors driving consumers to adopt virtual technology. It also reviews existing literature on virtual reality in the fashion industry, consumer interactions within virtual environments, and the evolving role of VR in shaping consumer behavior and marketing strategies. The report concludes by highlighting the potential of VR to transform the fashion industry and the importance for businesses to adapt to changing consumer preferences in the virtual realm.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Business Research Methodology
Name of the student
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Author Note

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Table of Content
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................2
1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................2
1.2 Significance of the research.............................................................................................2
1.3 Aim of the Research.........................................................................................................3
1.4 Research Objectives.........................................................................................................3
1.5 Research Hypothesis........................................................................................................3
1.6 Research Questions..........................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................5
2.1Virtual Reality and Fashion industry................................................................................5
2.2 Virtual reality and consumers’ shopping practices..........................................................6
2.3 Virtual reality influencing consumer behaviour..............................................................7
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.......................................................................9
3.1 Research Philosophy........................................................................................................9
3.2 Research Design...............................................................................................................9
3.3 Data Collection Process.................................................................................................10
3.4 Data Analysis Techniques..............................................................................................11
3.5 Sampling Techniques.....................................................................................................11
3.6 Research instruments.....................................................................................................12
3.7 Ethical Consideration.....................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................13

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Topic- “Impact of virtual reality on consumer purchasing behaviour: Case Study of
Fashion Industry”
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
The proposed study is considered to be carried out on the growing impact of virtual
reality on consumer purchasing behaviour. It is certain that the excellent development of
technological wave, in specific to virtual technology, has led shopping activities into a new
era. The proposed study is determined to examine the relationship between consumer
purchase behaviour and technology in diverse virtual environments in the context of fashion
industry. On the basis of the scope of using virtual technology in shopping practices, the
proposed study is supposed to investigates how customers tend to use virtual technology in
shopping activities from reviewing the earlier studies of consumer behaviour as well as
technological growth. The proposed study will include both secondary and primary analyses
and the techniques of selection has been discussed in the report.
1.2 Significance of the research
It has been identified that since the last decade technology has observed a sudden
rapid growth due to the growing utilization in business. Businesses greatly implement virtual
technology particularly in shopping practices to drive customers’ purchasing behaviour and
attract customers’ attention. It is particularly identified that such relationship existing
between virtual technology and consumers are intimately associated, due to the diverse
shopping strategies in the virtual environments developed by the marketers. More
specifically, Zhang et al. (2014) mentioned that due to the development of virtual technology
marketers in the fashion industry have introduced the trend of online shopping, where the
customers have the opportunity to access the massive collection of items, compare items and
receive items at the doorstep. Therefore, it is necessary to learn how marketers use the virtual

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technology environment to influence purchasing habits of consumers and the factors that
influence consumers to adopt the trend. The proposed study will particularly reveal how
virtual technology creates the impact on consumers and find out the reasons why consumers
in the fashion industry stop flocking at the outlet, instead prefer to do shopping by relaxing
with a pillow at home.
1.3 Aim of the Research
The proposed study aims to analyse the potential impact of virtual technology on
consumer purchasing behaviour. Earlier researches confirm that consumers in fashion
industry report the maximum use of maximum use of virtual technology when purchasing a
cloth item. Therefore, the research focuses on the fashion industry.
1.4 Research Objectives
In order to achieve the stated aim of the research, the following key objectives have been
developed:
 To investigate the relationship between the virtual reality and consumers’ shopping
activities
 To critically analyse the impact of virtual technology on consumer purchasing
behaviour in the fashion industry
 To identify the future direction for shopping practices in virtual world
1.5 Research Hypothesis
 H0- Virtual technology can influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers
 H1- Virtual technology can influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers
1.6 Research Questions
 What relationship exists between the development of virtual technology and
consumers’ shopping practices?

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 What impact does virtual technology create on consumers’ purchasing behaviour?

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1Virtual Reality and Fashion industry
It is identified that the fashion industry has a long history of implementing technology
to disrupt the norms as well as excite consumers. Rauschnabel et al. (2016) commented that
technology could turn the fashion industry inside out. This study reveals the fact that the most
obvious as well as successful collaboration of fashion and technology is the “wearable tech”.
According to this author, the consumers are already fully invested but there was a period
when they technically were not. Ciarnienė and Vienažindienė (2014) performed a study and
found that virtual reality have mostly been implemented for the purpose of design but it is
now gradually turning into a significant tool to influence the consumers.
As put forward by 'Avolio, Bandinelli and Rinaldi (2015), technology has developed
a lot since the decades but closets have greatly been by untouched by innovation. In the
context of virtual environment, Sinclair (2014) mentioned that digital media is changing the
manners people approach to styling, which means that people no longer depend on shopping
malls to ship and figure out what would suit one’s body type. This happens as this technique
is way more comfortable but it also saves plenty of time. The authors conclude that the
convenience, approaches and flexibility, there is a massive increase of labels getting virtual
for the online purchase and even the popular designers tend to showcase the clarity in their
designs with the help of 3D technology.
For instance, the popular designer Iris Van Herpen tends to work with the techniques
like laser cutting as well as 3D printing to generate otherworldly shapes (Kim and Cheeyong
2015). It is identified that Harpen’s delicate dress covered in thousands of silicon-coated,
hand-blown glass bubbles which is yet not observed on the street but available in Virtual
technology environment. Here, the obstacle to wear such piece of item could be practically
void. On the other side, Kim et al. (2017) performed a research and mentioned that about a

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gist of how virtual reality helps the fashion industry –such as virtual fashion stores, virtual
humans, fashion showcasing in second life. Here, the author referred second life as the virtual
world where the models and clothes are based upon avatars. The study has revealed that when
people use virtual reality as the part of a live fashion show, a 3D image is supposed to be
projected into a practice world setting, which remains as the catwalk in the form of a part of a
show. The whole point of high fashion – the attires, the theatrical runway shows, the photo-
shoots that appear in magazines, which is supposed to make people dream, create a landscape
that is stranger, brighter as well as more fantastic than the ones that people presently live. The
study provides the conclusion that the fashion remains as the most significant and appropriate
for virtual world.
2.2 Virtual reality and consumers’ shopping practices
When understanding the use of virtual technology in shopping activities, scholars
have paid the attention on how customers interact within the virtual environment of shopping
activities. In this context, Yap and Yeong (2014) commented that the benefits of virtual
technology, especially, the immersive virtual technology is there to persuade the consumers.
Hence, Armstrong et al. (2015) agree that the design of virtual technology generates the
experience of presence to the forefront as a significant issue. The author has explained the
statement by further stating that presence remains as the sensation here in virtual technology,
so far as the buyer is occupied as well as immersed impulsively in the virtual environments.
However, Blázquez (2014) argued that the presence is experience that comes from within or
it could be the psychological state of the customer taking the help of virtual technology. The
author of this article has also mentioned the fact that it is not obligatory to associate with
customers’ experience of utilizing the technological medium.
So, the objective of using virtual technology should be about developing the
sensational experience of individual within the virtual environment. On the other side, Pappas

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(2016) mentioned that scholars should not underestimate the impact of the influence of
virtual technology to consumers’ experience because they are intimately correlated with each
other. Here, Javornik (2016) mentioned that the experience of presence in the virtual
environment should be partly be doing with the attitude of the consumer’s’ state of mind and
partially with the virtual technology and based on which, a more immersive virtual
technology may create greater immersive experience to consumers.
2.3 Virtual reality influencing consumer behaviour
A study performed by Pantano and Priporas (2016), have mentioned the fact that
organizations are constantly required to adapt to ever-evolving customer preferences. The
author of this article has mentioned that virtual reality has the power to gradually change
consumer behaviour as well as the purchase decisions. Kumar et al. (2016) mentioned that
virtual reality completely improves the ways consumers can communicate with the products
without the requirements for physical prototypes or the samples. According to this author,
this VR is an extremely vital concept for the organizations to figure out to market the
products more effectively in the near future. A study performed by Ioanăs and Stoica (2014),
reveal the data that almost 73% of millennial were surveyed who expect experiences instead
of the material things and this is probably the reason where immersive experience like VR
may likely to play a great role in the content marketing. Conversely, Pappas (2016)
performed a research and mentioned that virtual reality might have a singular massive impact
on consumers’ behaviour; however, over time, there could be many small changes which
could eventually lead to business completely changing their marketing campaign. According
to the author, it is more the experience that VR provides, observation are what create
memories. It is not possible to think of better ways to have an immersive experience which
could make the customers feel that they are completely in a different regions that may come
close to virtual reality. This study has mentioned about some major businesses like Samsung,

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IKEA and their experiment with virtual reality. The authors suggest that more businesses may
soon try to generate an excellent advert for their customer base (Pantano and Priporas 2016).

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Philosophy
Research philosophy remains as a vast topic but it mainly deals with the type and
development of knowledge and in a general sense, research philosophy is about the belief the
ways in which data regarding a phenomenon could be collected and used. According to
Bernard (2017), there are three different types of research philosophies namely positivism,
interpretivism and pragmatism. Positivism considers the world as real, independent and
obtains knowledge development through the generation and testing of hypothesis. On the
other side, interpretivism considers the world as different from the natural world as well as
socially constructed where the external bodies remains as the product of dialogue. This
particular philosophy helps to gain knowledge from rich, context sensitive and subjectivity of
the research context. Conversely, pragmatism research philosophy promotes a particular
philosophy of meaning and considers the account of reality. In the proposed study, positivism
research philosophy will be applied.
Justifying the selected research philosophy
However, in the present study, positivism research philosophy creates primacy to
numbers and statistical modelling to deliver measurable and conclusive findings. The present
study is required to identify and measure the impact of virtual reality on consumers’ buying
behaviour; thus, it is necessary to measure the impact of virtual technology such as intensity
of factors influencing the buying decisions of consumers.
3.2 Research Design
There are three different types of research design namely exploratory, explanatory and
descriptive research designs. As put forward by Brannen (2017), exploratory research helps
to explore the research questions and it is not supposed to provide any final as well as

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conclusive remedies to the existing research studies. On the other side, descriptive study is
generally implemented to create findings that are relevant in deriving a proper conclusions
(Creswell, and Creswell 2017). In the present study, descriptive research study will be
performed.
Justifying the selection of descriptive study
Descriptive study has been chosen as it includes the implementation of quantitative
methods of data collection as well as data analysis. Moreover, the study includes a hypothesis
which is required to be tested to know the impact of dependent variable-virtual reality on the
independent variable which is the consumer buying behaviour. In addition to this, the
descriptive study is designed to identify the possibility to describe the casual relationship the
variables and concepts.
3.3 Data Collection Process
Data collection remains as the method of collecting information from all relevant and
reliable sources to find out the answers to the research issues, verify the hypothesis and assess
the outcome. There are two different types of data collection process namely primary data
collection and secondary data collection process that are elaborated in the following.
Secondary Data Collection Techniques
Secondary data falls under the category of a data that has already been published in
books, newspapers, journal articles and online portal (Mertens 2014). There is an uncountable
amount of sources for secondary data; however, in the proposed study, the data will be
collected from books, journal articles and newspapers articles that have been performed on
the virtual reality and consumer buying behaviour.
Primary Data collection techniques

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The primary data collection process is divided into two different categories namely
qualitative and quantitative data collection process. Both quantitative and qualitative data
collection methods will be used in the proposed research because the study is supposed to
find out the relation between and the impact of VR on consumer buying behaviour, therefore,
it is necessary to include customers in the data collection process, while qualitative data will
help to learn the organizational perspectives on the chosen context. In the proposed study,
quantitative data will be collected by carrying out a survey among the customers of two
different brands in fashion industry, while the qualitative data will be collected among the
managers of two fashion brands –ZARA and H&M in UK.
3.4 Data Analysis Techniques
The primary data will be analysed by converting the raw data into numerical as well
as meaningful format and then it will be represented with the help of graphs and tables. The
data will be analysed by creating a comparison between the findings found in the literature,
while the qualitative data will be analysed by performing a thematic analysis process in
which, the primary findings will be linked to the findings found in the literature.
3.5 Sampling Techniques
Sampling is known as a specific criteria to choose the members of the population in
the study. There are two major types of sampling techniques namely probability sampling
and non-probability sampling (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2012). The target population
for collecting the primary data is customers and managers of the organizations Zara and
H&M. The sampling frame is set to be 50 customers and 5 managers of the chosen
organizations. For performing the survey among the customers, simple random probability
sampling method will be used because in probability sampling, each respondent has the
chance to take part in the study; so, there is no any particular criteria. On the other side, for
performing the interview among the managers and supervisors, non-probability convenient

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sampling method will be used because the selection of the respondents depend on the
availability and intention of the managers.
3.6 Research instruments
In order to collect the qualitative and quantitative data, a questionnaire will be
prepared- such as for carrying out the survey 12 close ended questions will be designed,
while for carrying out the interview, 4 open-ended questions will be prepared.
3.7 Ethical Consideration
Ethical consideration is a significant area in the research which should be treated
properly to gain desired outcome from the study. The researcher makes sure that when
collecting primary data such as performing interview and survey, no respondent will be
forced to take part in the stud. In addition, the researcher also ensures that each respondents
holds the right to pull out their participation at any moment. In order to maintain the
confidentiality and anonymity of the respondents, the guidelines of Data Protection Act 1998
have been followed.

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