Virtual Social Immersive Multi-Sensory E-Commerce

In this paper, we present a virtual immersive multi sensorial experience, Aromaverse. Aromaverse is an immersive 3D multiplayer environment augmented with olfactive experience where users can experience and customize perfumes. Being multi player, users can join the same space and enjoy a social buying experience. The olfactive experience embodied in the perfume allows users to experience their fragrances. This further enhances the user perception of perfumes in a virtual setting. Aromaverse also provides the ability to customize the perfumes by changing their top, mid, and base notes. The customized fragrances can be shared with other users, enabling a shared olfactive experience. To understand users' buying experience in such an environment, we conducted a set of experiments in which participants were requested to explore the space, experience the perfumes, customize them and buy them. They were asked to perform the same activities alone and in the presence of their friends. Various factors including the benefits and limitations of such an experience were captured by the questionnaires. Our results show that the presence of a companion enhances the shopping experience by improving the level of imagination of the product and helping in making purchase decisions. Our findings suggest that multi sensorial XR experiences offer great opportunities to retail firms to improve customer engagement and provide more realistic online experience of products that require other sensory modalities