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Spatial word of mouth: How user reviews in the metaverse shape the success of virtual reality apps.

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Title: Spatial word of mouth: How user reviews in the metaverse shape the success of virtual reality apps.
Authors: Kübler, Raoul V. (AUTHOR), Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Retailing. Jun2026:Part B, Vol. 102 Issue 2, p425-445. 21p.
Subjects: Consumers' reviews, Word of mouth advertising, Sentiment analysis, Shared virtual environments, Text mining, Virtual reality software, Marketing
Abstract: In the metaverse, virtual reality (VR) apps serve as key gateways to consumers, making it critical for retailers and brands to understand the drivers of VR app success. This study introduces spatial word of mouth (WOM) —consumer-generated communication in high-immersive digital environments—and examines how VR app reviews in a metaverse app store, as prominent kind of such spatial WOM, are linked with app performance. Using topic modeling and aspect-based sentiment analysis, we analyze nearly 300,000 reviews from 153 VR apps on Meta's Horizon store, alongside 1.5 million reviews of 2D apps from Steam. We identify 10 spatial-WOM topics, four of which are unique to VR (immersion, community, playtime, and motion sickness) and six are shared with traditional electronic WOM. Linear mixed-effects regression reveals that all 10 topics are linked to spatial-WOM valence (a measure of app satisfaction), while five are associated with spatial-WOM volume (a proxy for app downloads). A spatial WOM valence-volume matrix offers practical insights for retailing and brand managers to engage VR app users effectively, and a research agenda for advancing spatial-WOM studies in retailing and marketing provides a foundation for future exploration in this emerging domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Retailing is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
FullText Text:
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Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Spatial word of mouth: How user reviews in the metaverse shape the success of virtual reality apps.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kübler%2C+Raoul+V%2E%22">Kübler, Raoul V.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hennig-Thurau%2C+Thorsten%22">Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Retailing%22">Journal of Retailing</searchLink>. Jun2026:Part B, Vol. 102 Issue 2, p425-445. 21p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Consumers'+reviews%22">Consumers' reviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Word+of+mouth+advertising%22">Word of mouth advertising</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sentiment+analysis%22">Sentiment analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Shared+virtual+environments%22">Shared virtual environments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Text+mining%22">Text mining</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Virtual+reality+software%22">Virtual reality software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marketing%22">Marketing</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In the metaverse, virtual reality (VR) apps serve as key gateways to consumers, making it critical for retailers and brands to understand the drivers of VR app success. This study introduces spatial word of mouth (WOM) —consumer-generated communication in high-immersive digital environments—and examines how VR app reviews in a metaverse app store, as prominent kind of such spatial WOM, are linked with app performance. Using topic modeling and aspect-based sentiment analysis, we analyze nearly 300,000 reviews from 153 VR apps on Meta's Horizon store, alongside 1.5 million reviews of 2D apps from Steam. We identify 10 spatial-WOM topics, four of which are unique to VR (immersion, community, playtime, and motion sickness) and six are shared with traditional electronic WOM. Linear mixed-effects regression reveals that all 10 topics are linked to spatial-WOM valence (a measure of app satisfaction), while five are associated with spatial-WOM volume (a proxy for app downloads). A spatial WOM valence-volume matrix offers practical insights for retailing and brand managers to engage VR app users effectively, and a research agenda for advancing spatial-WOM studies in retailing and marketing provides a foundation for future exploration in this emerging domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Retailing is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194553353
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.jretai.2025.03.002
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 425
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      – SubjectFull: Consumers' reviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Word of mouth advertising
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sentiment analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Shared virtual environments
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      – SubjectFull: Text mining
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      – SubjectFull: Virtual reality software
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      – SubjectFull: Marketing
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Spatial word of mouth: How user reviews in the metaverse shape the success of virtual reality apps.
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            NameFull: Hennig-Thurau, Thorsten
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            – D: 05
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026:Part B
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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