The "metaverse" is a highly interconnected digital realm with the potential of revolutionizing the way customers, businesses, and brands interact and conduct transactions within a seamlessly interrelated virtual reality. It enables capturing user interest, expanding services significantly, and integrating various revenue models, thus presenting an enticing prospect for stakeholders. As a result, numerous companies are investing substantive resources in developing technologies related to the metaverse. However, due to the rapid pace of its development, there remains an insufficient understanding of the current scope of the metaverse and its subsequent impact on the adoption and implementation of electronic commerce practices. Therefore, this study aims at examining the acceptance of e-commerce in the metaverse through an empirical study based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A total of 237 valid responses were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling (PLS) software to test hypotheses. The results reveal that although social influence, facilitating conditions, and performance expectancy profoundly impact users' satisfaction, and their intention to use the metaverse for e-commerce activities, effort expectancy does not exert such prominent influence. These findings offer practical implications for e-commerce businesses and metaverse platform designers through shedding light on the factors that should be prioritized to enhance user acceptance of e-commerce in the metaverse. In conclusion, the study highlights the transformative capability of the metaverse in reshaping e-commerce practices. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of social influence, facilitating conditions, and performance expectancy in influencing users' satisfaction and intention to engage in e-commerce within the metaverse. Through recognizing and leveraging these factors, e-commerce businesses and metaverse platform designers can optimize user acceptance, and foster a thriving e-commerce ecosystem in the metaverse.