Impact of VR Embodiment on Users' Perception in V-Commerce

The simplicity of purchasing goods on the internet has reached an unparalleled level. Nonetheless, this convenience leads to a rise in the volume of returned items. Consequently, the return rate contributes to more packaging waste than traditional retail stores and leads to further CO2 emissions. Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to enhance this experience. The client puts on a VR device, explores the online shop, and tries on different clothing items. It has not been widely explored yet because the technology is still evolving. This research explores the potential of 3D reconstruction methods to improve customer engagement in e-commerce by creating a VR application that emulates in-store shopping. Our v-commerce application provides the customer with a better sense of the product's appearance and fit by interacting with the 3D-generated products and fitting them on their virtual avatar. Additionally, this study investigates the importance of customer-avatar resemblance and whether this can increase VR embodiment. We conducted a subjective study using questionnaires. Our results showed a high overall satisfaction score for the virtual shopping experience, suggesting that VR could play a role in e-commerce. Furthermore, the findings indicated that a higher customer-avatar resemblance enhances the feeling of embodiment and that 87.5% of the participants expressed importance to customer-avatar resemblance. These findings could assist the customer in making a more informed purchase decision, potentially leading to a reduction in returned packages.