The Use of New Presentation Technologies in Electronic Sales Environments and Their Influence on Product Perception

Abstract

New tools have appeared to improve interaction with products in online shopping: virtual reality (VR) applications, where customers are immersed in a wholly virtual environment; augmented reality (AR) applications, which allow virtual elements to be visualised in real environments; and 360° displays (360-D), which allow 3D representations to be rotated in any direction. The aim of this work is to analyse the influence of using these technologies for product presentation on the perception of different aspects of the products and also on the shopping experience, within the context of an online shopping, and compare them with traditional presentation of products through static 2D rendered images. A study has been conducted with a piece of furniture (a sideboard) and a household accessory (a gooseneck lamp). A questionnaire was developed simulating a website for selling products online, and showing the sideboard and the lamp by means of 2D images, 360-D, AR and VR techniques. The participants evaluated different aspects related to the perception of general, detailed, functional and aesthetic characteristics of the products, as well as aspects concerning the shopping experience and the use of the technologies. Results show a similar perception of product characteristics and shopping experience for the four techniques, except for the perception of details (worst for VR) and easiness of use (worst for AR and VR), with some differences depending on the type of product. In conclusion, 360-D and AR techniques are recommended for large appliances, while 360-D and 2D images are better for small ones.