How Body Esteem Influences Virtual Model Selection and Intention to Use Virtual Fitting Rooms

Virtual fitting rooms have come a long way, incorporating augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and body scanning technologies to enhance the shopping experience. While the extant literature has provided systematic examinations of consumers' experience for virtual fitting rooms, factors that affect consumers' virtual model selection and intention to use virtual fitting rooms remain understudied. This study aims to explore how consumers' body esteem influences virtual model selection, trust in virtual models, and intention to use virtual fitting rooms. The results of an empirical study in China showed that consumers with high (vs. low) body esteem were more willing to select virtual models with body sizes that were congruent with (vs. larger than) their own, and they were more likely to trust virtual models and use virtual fitting rooms. The preference for thin models and the need for uniqueness produced a moderating effect. These results provide valuable insights into consumers' intention to use virtual fitting rooms in e-commerce.