Abstract A revolutionary application of the virtual reality technology in online retailing, virtual fitting room (VFR), has attracted attention of researchers and practitioners recently. However, it remains unclear whether and how VFR influences sales and post-sales outcomes based on the limited literature, and retailers hesitate in adopting the technology due to concerns about its profit prospects. In this research, we conduct two large-scale field experiments to test the causal effects of different VFR designs, and a lab experiment to unveil the underlying theoretical mechanisms. We find that, although VFR can have a sizeable positive effect on sales, it can be counterproductive when used improperly. Specifically, personalized VFR may not increase sales if used in combination with conventional product visualizations because self-discrepancy becomes salient under this condition. Moreover, VFR significantly influences post-sales outcomes, i.e., it enhances customer satisfaction and reduces product return rate. The findings provide distinct theoretical contributions and managerial implications.

中文翻译：

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试试！虚拟试衣间的意外效应

摘要 虚拟现实技术在网络零售领域的革命性应用——虚拟试衣间（VFR），最近引起了研究人员和从业者的关注。然而，基于有限的文献，尚不清楚 VFR 是否以及如何影响销售和售后结果，零售商由于担心其利润前景而犹豫是否采用该技术。在这项研究中，我们进行了两次大规模的现场实验来测试不同 VFR 设计的因果效应，以及一次实验室实验来揭示潜在的理论机制。我们发现，虽然 VFR 可以对销售产生相当大的积极影响，但如果使用不当，可能会适得其反。具体来说，如果与传统产品可视化结合使用，个性化 VFR 可能不会增加销售额，因为在这种情况下，自我差异变得突出。此外，VFR 显着影响售后结果，即提高客户满意度并降低产品退货率。研究结果提供了独特的理论贡献和管理意义。