Mind the fit: A Framework for Virtual Reality Integration in the Online Customer Journey

Virtual Reality (VR) offers the opportunity to reimagine digital marketing activities by extending traditional internet usage. Despite extensive efforts to identify the drivers and barriers to adoption, market perspectives on VR have fluctuated, leaving it unclear how consumers effectively integrate such tools into their online shopping journeys. As part of a broader research project investigating VR’s role in consumer decision-making, the present study proposes a behavioural framework grounded in Task-Technology Fit (TTF) theory to explain the intention to use VR solutions when shopping online. Data were collected via a cross-sectional survey (N = 206) and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate a significant effect of technological characteristics (interactivity and vividness) on TTF, alongside an unexpected negative moderation effect of Personal Need for Structure (PNS) on usage intention. From a theoretical standpoint, this research represents an initial application of the TTF lens to VR effectiveness in online retailing while testing the moderating impact of PNS. Such findings contribute to the literature on VR as a decision-support service and provide strategic guidelines for practitioners seeking to integrate VR solutions into e-commerce journeys.