Official URL: https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2021_rp/122/

The Covid-19 crisis has significantly affected retailers in interacting with their customers. Now more than ever, retailers innovate and strive for effective replication of in-store experiences in an online environment. Virtual reality can be effective in emulating experiential shopping at home. However, particularly older adults (OAs) experience difficulties in using these novel technologies as they undergo several age-related changes, such as deteriorating vision or weakened hand-eye-coordination. Thus, we identify the requirements of OAs and develop seven design principles for virtual-commerce stores for OAs. We follow a design science research approach with a staged research process and iterative cycles. The requirements and design principles are evaluated and refined by conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups. This study offers prescriptive knowledge in form of design principles for virtual retail and a specific customer segment and contributes to customer-centred design literature. These principles can further guide developers in designing digital systems for OAs.