Ioannis Krasonikolakis

Defining, Applying and Customizing Store Atmosphere in Virtual Reality Commerce: Back to Basics?

This paper studies the concept of Store Atmosphere in Virtual Commerce (V-Commerce) through the Web in order to empirically define its determinants and investigate their applicability and customization capabilities. A series of in depth interviews with field experts (study #1) along with an online questionnaire survey (study #2) served as the data collection mechanisms of the study. The empirical findings suggest that while the social aspect dimension of V-Commerce limits customization capabilities, it provides several innovative options for manipulating Store Atmosphere. Additionally, the results indicate that Store Atmosphere attributes can be grouped in three factors with high average scores concerning the importance users attach to them. Specifically, storefront, store theatrics, colors, music and graphics are grouped in Factor #1 and reflect the “Store’s Appeal†. Crowding, product display techniques and innovative store atmosphere services are grouped in Factor #2 labeled “Innovative Atmosphere†, while store layout constitutes the only attribute included in Factor #3. The paper outlines the theoretical and managerial implications of these research results.

Store layout effects on consumer behavior in 3D online stores

Positioned in the e-retailing field, this study aims to investigate the effect of the retail store’s atmosphere on consumer behavior in 3D online shopping environments, focusing on store layout as a critical influential factor.,The research uses a mixed research method approach that includes two complementary studies. First, a three-round Delphi study with domain experts is used to develop a store layout classification scheme (Study 1), resulting in five distinct types of store layout. Subsequently, 3D online retail stores that use the five layouts are designed and developed. These serve as treatments of a laboratory experimental design, which is used to assess layout impact on a number of attitudinal and behavioral variables (Study 2).,Five distinct types of store layout have been identified in Study 1, and their distinctive features are presented. The findings of Study 2 indicate that online shopping enjoyment, entertainment and ease of navigation are influenced by the store layout types of 3D online environments. Specifically, the “avant-garde” layout type facilitates the ease of navigation of customers in the store and provides a superior online customer experience. The “warehouse”’ adopts long aisles for the display of products, which simplifies the comparison of products, whereas the “boutique” layout was found to be the best in terms of shopping enjoyment and entertainment. The “department” layout shares many common characteristics with traditional department stores, providing an entertaining and enjoyable store, whereas the “pragmatic” layout emphasizes low system requirements.,The paper presents characteristics that make store layouts effective for different aspects of online customers’ experience and identifies opportunities that 3D online store designers and retailers can explore for the provision of enhanced, customized services to online customers.,This paper examines recent technological developments in store design and visual merchandising. It identifies five layout types of 3D online stores, which are different from those of brick–and–mortar and 2D online stores, and investigates their impact on consumer behavior. Further, the paper examines how each layout type influences online shopping enjoyment, entertainment, ease of navigation, online customer experience and, in turn, purchase and word-of-mouth intentions. Finally, the paper examines the moderating role of telepresence. Individuals with high sense of telepresence conceive 3D environments as “real” and are more concerned about the attributes that trigger the sense of enjoyment they experience while browsing.

3D online environments: ethical challenges for marketing research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to provide an overview of related studies and to highlight research gaps and questions that need to be addressed. Research conducted in three-dimensional (3D) online environments constitutes a different research context, not least because it involves the recruitment of avatars in the research process. Researchers need to appreciate better the ethical concerns that arise in this novel, fast-evolving context and how these concern different stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs an interdisciplinary desk-research approach. It critically reviews related literature, highlights the involved stakeholders, discusses ethical issues from a marketing research perspective and concludes with a discussion of related studies and research gaps, providing direct future research avenues. Findings – The characteristics of the 3D online environments and the behaviour and experiences of their users set the boundaries and guide the way regarding the ethical...

Designing Visual Exemplars of 3D Online Store Layout Types

This paper presents the design issues in the visualization of five distinct store layout types in the context of 3D online retailing and discusses appropriate design decisions. The development of the stores is based on the requirements (layout characteristics) elicited from a three-round Delphi method with 3D expert users and designers which served as the qualitative empirical research vehicle. Along with the visualization of the characteristics of each layout type, the theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and the future research avenues of the study are discussed.