Companies use virtual reality to create
a more immersive shopping experience
According to People's preference for shopping online increases, e-commerce is developing to bring more realistic experiences. With the arrival of 5G internet and the promise of much faster connections, it is expected that virtual reality will become more popular. And one of its applications has the potential to transform the way we shop online: VR Commerce.
This expression is used to define the use of virtual reality or augmented reality in e-commerce to create a more engaging digital store where consumers can interact with products in an immersive shopping experience.
VR Commerce allows companies to create digital environments that consumers can access on their cell phone, computer or, in more sophisticated cases, using a virtual reality headset — that mix of computer and glasses that you wear on your face to enter this universe.
The idea is that consumers have a richer experience in the store even without leaving home. With virtual reality, people can not only see but also interact with products instead of browsing photo galleries. This way, people are more likely to be satisfied and, therefore, less likely to make changes.
VR Commerce Examples
Using virtual reality, it is possible to place an item in a digital environment and visualize how it can be used or where it can be positioned. An example: furniture retailer Ikea has an application that allows people to decorate a home using pieces from the store, to have more clarity about whether the decoration will look good.
Shopify created an app that puts users in a virtual photo studio where they can try on different t-shirt designs in a 3D image with real proportions, which helps when adjusting size and color.
In their virtual reality department store, eBay and Myer allow consumers to browse products using virtual reality glasses: when entering this environment, it is possible to select products just by looking at them. The difference to the physical store is that the algorithm studies people's data to make recommendations of what they might like.
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