Research-Thesis: What Role Does Virtual Reality Play in Shaping Consumer Decision-Making in the Retail Sector? A Qualitative Exploration at IKEA

Abstract

This thesis investigates the role of virtual reality (VR) in shaping consumer decision-making in the retail sector through a qualitative case study conducted at IKEA. As immersive technologies increasingly enter retail environments, understanding how VR is experienced by both consumers and staff becomes essential. The study adopts a qualitative approach, based on semi-structured interviews with IKEA customers who used a VR showroom and IKEA staff involved in its facilitation. The findings show that VR acts primarily as a decision-support and pre-selection tool, rather than a replacement for the physical store. By allowing consumers to visualize products in a realistic three-dimensional environment, VR reduces uncertainty, enhances spatial understanding, and increases confidence in early decision stages. Consumers rely less on imagination and more on direct experience, which improves clarity and reassurance during choice formation. However, the effectiveness of VR strongly depends on experience coherence and design quality. Ease of navigation, clear information, and visual realism support presence and comfort, while poorly adapted sensory elements especially background music and voice-over can increase cognitive load and reduce focus. The study also reveals differences between staff and customer perspectives: staff mainly perceive VR as an efficiency and facilitation tool, whereas customers evaluate it through emotional comfort, autonomy, and lived experience. Using the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, the research demonstrates how VR stimuli shape internal cognitive and emotional states, which in turn influence confidence, exploration, and decision readiness. Overall, the thesis highlights that VR adds value when it supports clarity, comfort, and autonomy, positioning it as a complementary element within an omnichannel retail journey rather than a standalone sales channel.