Abstract
This study investigates older adults' perceptions, expectations, and concerns regarding Virtual Reality (VR)-based grocery shopping, with the intention of exploring both barriers and opportunities within virtual retail environments and obtaining design insights towards an age-friendly VR shopping platform. Using a mixed-method approach, that includes VR trials, interviews, observations, and focus groups, this study identifies key opportunities and limitations of VR shopping for aged 65+ customers. Findings suggest several benefits of VR shopping, including enhanced mobility, immersive realism, reduced decision fatigue, and cognitive and sensory engagement. Participants responded positively to intuitive spatial navigation, interactive product handling, and familiar supermarket elements, which contributed to a natural and enjoyable experience. The potential for social interaction and multisensory feedback also sparked interest, suggesting ways to enhance emotional and social resonance in virtual retail. However, participants also reported challenges such as cost, complexity, physical discomfort, and unfamiliarity, which currently hinder wider adoption. These barriers highlight the importance of designing with older users in mind—by simplifying visual interfaces, reducing cognitive load, enabling multisensory support, and incorporating optional social features. The study underscores the need for inclusive design principles that align with the cognitive, physical, and emotional needs of older adults. By balancing realism with simplicity and embedding social value, VR retail services can be made more accessible and empowering. Future research should explore the balance between physical and virtual retail experiences, inclusive interface and interaction design, the added value of VR shopping beyond mirroring physical stores, and multi-user interaction within VR shopping contexts.
Keywords
Virtual reality; Grocery shopping; Older adults; Inclusive design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.644
Citation
Yin, Y., Wei, X., Li, Y., Yao, S., Bian, J., Niu, J.,and Pan, L.(2025) Designing Virtual Reality Grocery Shopping Services for Older Adults: An Exploratory Study, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.644
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 3 - Design, Art & Technology
Designing Virtual Reality Grocery Shopping Services for Older Adults: An Exploratory Study
This study investigates older adults' perceptions, expectations, and concerns regarding Virtual Reality (VR)-based grocery shopping, with the intention of exploring both barriers and opportunities within virtual retail environments and obtaining design insights towards an age-friendly VR shopping platform. Using a mixed-method approach, that includes VR trials, interviews, observations, and focus groups, this study identifies key opportunities and limitations of VR shopping for aged 65+ customers. Findings suggest several benefits of VR shopping, including enhanced mobility, immersive realism, reduced decision fatigue, and cognitive and sensory engagement. Participants responded positively to intuitive spatial navigation, interactive product handling, and familiar supermarket elements, which contributed to a natural and enjoyable experience. The potential for social interaction and multisensory feedback also sparked interest, suggesting ways to enhance emotional and social resonance in virtual retail. However, participants also reported challenges such as cost, complexity, physical discomfort, and unfamiliarity, which currently hinder wider adoption. These barriers highlight the importance of designing with older users in mind—by simplifying visual interfaces, reducing cognitive load, enabling multisensory support, and incorporating optional social features. The study underscores the need for inclusive design principles that align with the cognitive, physical, and emotional needs of older adults. By balancing realism with simplicity and embedding social value, VR retail services can be made more accessible and empowering. Future research should explore the balance between physical and virtual retail experiences, inclusive interface and interaction design, the added value of VR shopping beyond mirroring physical stores, and multi-user interaction within VR shopping contexts.