Nine in ten consumers curious about metaverse: study

About 93 per cent of consumers say they are curious about the metaverse, and of them, 51 per cent will use it when it becomes more accessible, a recent study conducted by the Capgemini Research Institute showed.

The Paris-headquartered think-tank surveyed 8,000 consumers and 1,000 organizations in 12 countries between July and August to learn their views on metaverse and immersive experiences delivered through headsets or mobile and web browsers.

About 77 per cent of consumers expect metaverse and immersive experiences will impact the way they interact with people, product brands and services, according to the institute, which published the results on December 8. As well, seven out of 10 organizations said they believe immersive experiences will be a key differentiator in their markets, particularly in relation to the customer journey.

Of those consumers who have experienced using the metaverse, three quarters said they will continue to use it, which researchers say indicates a potential for businesses. 

A large proportion of consumers are intrigued by the prospects of immersive and metaverse experiences, and they would like to use the metaverse mainly as a place to interact with their family, friends (43 per cent) and even their colleagues (39 per cent). 

While on the metaverse, 78 per cent consumers cited retail shopping said they are most interested in retail shopping as it allows try-on experience for high-engagement products such as cars, furniture and household electronics.

For the consumer products and retail sector, some businesses are piloting immersive use cases such as AR for virtual home decor, electronics and other items (24 per cent) or to create new, more engaging, consumer experiences (25 per cent), the researchers said.