Democratizing luxury in the metaverse: when virtual access is associated with lower offline perceived brand luxury

Purpose This paper examines when virtual luxury access with lower acquisition difficulty is perceived as comparable with physical ownership and is associated with lower immediate offline perceived brand luxury. Design/methodology/approach Seven online scenario experiments draw on construal level and equity theories. They vary or measure perceived realism, the contrast between two images, the scenario emphasis on possession and rarity comparisons, imagined prior ownership, and virtual acquisition difficulty. Findings Virtual democratization was not uniformly associated with lower perceived brand luxury. When comparison cues were weak, the negative indirect association through perceived unfairness weakened or became positive; an auxiliary study suggested a possible playfulness pathway. Higher reported perceived realism was associated with a stronger negative indirect association through perceived unfairness. The unfairness pattern varied with prior ownership, whereas the perceived reduction in scarcity was broader. The contrast between the two images yielded a pattern consistent with psychological proximity and perceived fit between the virtual and physical products but did not isolate visual realism. The scenario emphasis on possession and rarity comparisons was more directly associated with perceived unfairness. In Study 5, which held the image and scenario constant, average and low-cost access were associated with larger declines in perceived brand luxury than premium access. Practical implications Luxury brands should assess comparability before matching virtual products to physical icons or widening access. More realistic representations may be associated with stronger comparison, but the contrast between the two images does not establish visual realism as causal. Distinct virtual lines, more demanding access, and benefits for physical product owners warrant testing. Originality/value This paper treats metaverse luxury democratization as a question of how access is designed. It examines how programmable scarcity, acquisition difficulty, perceived realism, and other comparison cues relate to immediate offline brand judgments involving perceived unfairness.