Consumer Behavior

Gen Z Consumers’ Thought on Metaverse: Insight from a Developing Country’s Perspective

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Abstract

The metaverse economy has provided economic benefits, such as new job prospects, to several underdeveloped countries. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the thoughts, expectations, and perceptions of gen Z consumers in Bangladesh about the metaverse. An in-depth interview (qualitative approach) was adopted with a purposive sample approach. Researchers used a snowball sampling strategy to enroll gen Z customers in Bangladesh from their preexisting network of contacts. A total of 15 interviews were conducted during Fall’22 - Spring’23. The findings of this study are organized according to the diffusion of innovations theory, which explains how new ideas, products, and technologies spread and are adopted by individuals and groups over time. The themes that emerged from the findings include the characteristics of the technology itself, the characteristics of the individuals (consumers), and the broader social context. This study contributes to the literature on exploring the challenges and constraints of implementing the metaverse in a developing country i.e., Bangladesh, which could help researchers identify potential barriers to adoption and develop strategies.

Keywords: Metaverse, Virtual reality, Gen Z consumer, Retail technology, Developing country

How to Cite:

Ferdous, J., Iqbal, M., Rana, M., Akter, M. & Mahdi, E., (2024) “Gen Z Consumers’ Thought on Metaverse: Insight from a Developing Country’s Perspective”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17410