Does "Being There" Matter? The Impact of Web-Based and Virtual World's Shopping Experiences on Consumer Purchase Attitudes

The use of virtual worlds as an emerging technology is already having a significant impact on business to consumer commerce and on corporate Internet retailing strategies. This research investigates consumer behavior in e-commerce retail environments, particularly with respect to consumer attitudes toward using virtual world's shopping compared to web-based, online shopping for real-world items. We investigate two forms of presence, perceived social presence and telepresence, and their effect on attitudes toward e-commerce, attitudes that ultimately influence the consumer's intention to shop using a particular e-commerce environment. Key implications of this research for researchers and practitioners are discussed.