I like to shop for clothes online. Sometimes I do end up receiving oversized or super tight jeans and jackets, and in other cases, I realize that the color or the style does not suit my taste only after I received them. Still, I prefer online shopping over offline for various reasons. First, it is very convenient that I can easily scroll through almost unlimitedly various types of clothes on my couch. I do not need to walk around several shops to hunt for clothes. Second, it rarely happens that I receive the wrong size as I mostly choose the right size from the websites where the sellers provide accurate and precise size information. Lastly, even if I receive the wrong size or if it turns out that I do not like the clothes I ordered, many online shopping malls provide free shipping and return services. Thus, I can simply drop them off at the nearest post office and send them back.
Now, what about furniture? In virtually all online furniture stores, there is enough information about how it looks (photo), size, color, and materials provided just like in any online fashion stores, yet I am reluctant to place an order of a couch without actually seeing it. What makes a couch so different from a jacket in this case? First, you will spend several hundred to several thousand Euros to buy furniture like couch, bed or closet. Second, you cannot simply stop by at the nearest post office with a couch on your shoulder to return them considering the size and weight. Hence, you don’t want to get a “just fine” one, but you want to make the best choice out of all possible options. Nevertheless, 15% of $70 billion US furniture market has moved online, and it is the fastest-growing product categories online. How is it possible?
“Try out” different furniture with your smartphone.
The thing that drives the growth of online furniture shopping is the augmented reality (AR) technology. Furniture companies like IKEA, Wayfair, and Pottery Barn launched AR embedded services by which customers can “try out” new furniture in their own space before purchasing. For example, IKEA’s IKEA Place app allows customers to visually experience a place with new furniture and see if it suits the place. With a few clicks on smart devices, customers can stage a cozy room filled with the furniture of their choices from a completely empty space. This instant visual try-out experience through AR and 3D rendering technology can fundamentally change the consumer experience. The novel technology can be applied to the fashion industry as well. Think about all the hassle at Zara such as waiting behind a long line in front of a changing room, taking off your boosts to try a pair of jeans then again change back to your clothes, and repeating it a few times. One day, you may be able to try on numerous clothes with simply a few swipes on the mirror in your home.
Pottery Barn 3D Room View Youtube link:
Sources:
Forbes. (2017) How Augmented Reality Is Giving Furniture A Boost In Sales. Derived from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/veronikasonsev/2017/12/20/how-ar-is-giving-furniture-a-boost-in-sales/#2cc88cbc1d3a
Anderson G. (2017) Retailwire. Will Amazon dominate the online furniture market? Derived from:
Furnituretoday. (2018) Augmented and Virtual Reality Feel Right at Home in Furniture Retail. Derived from:
Augmented and Virtual Reality Feel Right at Home in Furniture Retail
Very interesting topic Rak! I believe the effects of this can be more evident in the fashion industry, since as you mention – the commitment and the cost are significantly lower. Nowadays, people who use technology for their shopping are either using webrooming , meaning checking out an item online and then going to the physical store to actually purchase it, or showrooming, the opposite act of seeing the item in a store and then buying it online for a cheaper price. It will be interesting to see how consumer experience is further improved with the use of AR and 3D rendering technology. I don’t believe the actual experience of going out alone or with friends in order to shop for clothes can be 100% replaced, however the definition of “shopping” will definitely be reinvented as an entire new concept.