Prior to the internet, the only way to shop was to go to a local store. Technology, on the other hand, changed everything, allowing us to buy products made and grown all over the world instead of only in our local region.
Thanks to the internet and smartphones, a significant portion of the shopping process can now be completed from the comfort of our own homes or when we’re on the go. Fast forward a few years, and the world has seen the emergence of new innovations like online video shopping that have fundamentally altered traditional market scenarios.
The retail and e-commerce industries would readily embrace any technology that can improve the consumer experience in order to sell goods. There is no doubt that thanks to technologies like virtual reality (VR), which has revolutionised the global business landscape, we are entering a far more competitive and fascinating age.
Experts have dubbed virtual reality the best new feature and the retail industry’s future. Virtual reality, which allows customers to see a virtual product on themselves or in their surroundings, is extremely useful for both consumers and retailers.
E-commerce shoppers are denied the opportunity to touch and feel the product, while brick-and-mortar stores encourage consumers to do so without ever seeing it. Virtual reality is one technology that seeks to address all of these issues.
Customers will be able to have a more immersive shopping experience thanks to virtual reality. Customers profit by being able to see how items they’re interested in would look on them or in their homes, while retailers benefit from increased product visibility, increased online and in-store sales, and decreased returns – it’s a win-win scenario.
With virtual reality playing such an important role in the overall scheme of things, a number of mobile applications have entered the picture. Proxgy, for example, provides online video shopping services that give buyers a more realistic, immersive experience. Customers just need to book a Proxgy – or their virtual avatar – that will do their shopping for them while they relax at home. Furthermore, shoppers can opt to shop from any location in the world and connect with their Proxgies in real-time as they take a virtual walkthrough of malls and shops.
Virtual reality has created numerous opportunities for the retail industry, as well as numerous advantages for both retailers and consumers. Let’s take a closer look…
Increases Customer Engagement and Shopping Satisfaction
Incorporating virtual reality (VR) into the retail sector could well increase consumer interaction by providing immersive experiences through the use of a 3D vision. This increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to improved brand-customer relationships. Virtual reality allows customers to connect with the product and makes it easier for them to make an educated purchase decision.
Provides the Customer with Useful Visuals
Trying to imagine a product – whether it’s a piece of clothing or a piece of furniture – is one of the most difficult tasks for customers. Many customers have trouble visualising how the product would appear in person. Customers can imagine the product in VR, which helps to solve this issue. This enhances the consumer’s experience.
Customers Have More Control.
When it comes to shopping, the consumer does not want to be controlled by anyone else. They want to shop in the way that is most convenient for them. Customers may choose their own experiences of virtual reality, which increases their interest in the decision-making process.
Virtual Showrooms Can Replicate Real-Life Situations
Online retailers cannot have the same level of service as physical stores and lack personal experience. You are ordering blindly in online stores and all you have are scale charts to go by. Retailers are attracting customers by integrating virtual reality technology into their companies, promising them a more immersive and realistic experience.
Immersive Experiences Help People Concentrate Better
Smartphones allow users to do multiple things at once, such as listen to music, scroll through their social media feed, and chat with multiple people at once, all in a matter of seconds. This is also known as sensory overload, and it occurs when the overstimulated senses prohibit you from concentrating on a single task. In this respect, virtual reality interactions are the polar opposite. You can’t change your mind about what you’re doing right now. This keeps consumers focused on the issue (or, in this case, the product) at hand.
We have yet to see virtual reality’s full potential, but one thing we can all agree on is that it has already altered the way people shop online. The coming years will be crucial because they will reveal new layers of immersion in the world of virtual reality.
Virtual reality-based technologies provide a plethora of options for the retail and e-commerce sectors, combining the best aspects of both online and offline shopping. This type of experience will adapt rapidly to changing consumer needs and remain important to what customers require right now.
What customers want from a typical retail experience is constantly changing, and businesses must adapt to keep up. VR is the upgrade we crave, whether it’s at home or in stores. In retail, virtual shopping and online video shopping has the ability to create one-of-a-kind brand experiences that increase conversions, repeat visits, and revenue.
