The advantages of a virtual showroom

Antoine Charneau - 31/05/2022

The evolution of customer expectations

According to a PWC studystudy, "43% of buyers are willing to pay more for a good customer experience". A figure that cannot be taken lightly. Indeed, the shopping experience must be memorable, the shopping experience must be memorable.

The world is changing, consumer habits are constantly evolving and companies must continually adapt.

The main disadvantage of e-commerce concerns the dematerialisation of the product at the time of purchase. With a few photographs and product characteristics, it is difficult to form a real idea of the product. Although consumer comments can help us in our research, it is impossible for us to form our own opinion before we receive the purchase.

Retailers must adapt to this new generation of online shoppers. Indeed, the Statista report of 2021 report shows that 48.5 million French people will be buying online in 2021. However, the current sites do not seem to meet the expectations of customers who expect other experiences.

An innovative shopping experience: the virtual showroom

The Virtual Showroom combines the physical with the digital to create a simple and innovative response to customer expectations. Lhe use of a digital twin makes it possible to to completely rethink the customer's journey in a virtual shop to offer a different and immersive experience.

Thanks to our partner Matterportthe world leader in digital twins, we can embellish the digital twin by superimposing on it interactions that will enhance the virtual visit and facilitate transactions. For example, you can guide the customer to the products they like, assist them in their choices by video conference, inform them, and guide them towards additional purchases. Coupled with the market's CMS (Shopify, Magento, Prestashop), the transaction is as simple as on a classic e-commerce site. Connected with the stocks, the virtual showroom can also be used to link with physical points of sale: it is an excellent accelerator of drive to store.

Data management and analytics are essential in improving the customer experience. Virtual shops are evaluated in the same way as websites, on several metrics such as customer conversion rates, customer journey, interactions, waiting times and satisfaction measurement. L'analysis is fully customisable.

According to a Shopify study, 40% of brands say that offering a new shopping experience to consumers to remain competitive will be a priority this year.

But what are the real advantages of a virtual showroom ?

The benefits of a of a virtual showroom

The virtual showroom is an extension of an e-commerce site and provides a customer experience experience. Thanks to virtual reality, the consumer can now project themselves by visualising their product from every angle and immerse themselves in the brand's universe. Jean Michel CECCONI, Director of Open Innovation at Nespresso France, declared at the launch of the virtual boutique model: "Our clients tell us that they are waiting for this type of experience and that the virtual shop is twice as satisfying as the experience on the Nespresso e-commerce site.

With the help of augmented reality, it is now possible to project a product in its environment by using a QR code from your mobile. What could be easier to check the size of a piece of furniture before buying it in a virtual shop?

These technologies reassure the customer during his purchase. Moreover, using them is also a way of stand out from the from the competition and boost its visibility.

Just like an e-commerce site, the virtual showroom is available everywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It does not require a virtual reality headset, but simply a computer or a smartphone. Finally, the customer can make his purchases in one click.

A virtual showroom is customizable and easily modifiable. It will also allow to develop sales. According to Accenture, 74% of people who have experienced immersive technologies on a product acknowledge that they are more likely to buy it afterwards. Moreover, 60% of those who have already bought via a virtual shop want to do so again.

In addition to a point of sale, this tool is a good way to pursue the strategy of total trade. That is to say, selling above all else, by all available means, on all available channels.

A solution to avoid deploying a point of sale?

The initial investment in a shop is high, between the staff, the charges, the rent of the point of sale and the immobilization of the stock.

For brands that are only present online, the virtual showroom is a real alternative to the point of sale. Indeed, the setting up of a virtual showroom avoids the costs associated with the physical point of sale while offering the same advantages:

visit to the shop
restitution of the merchandising strategy merchandising strategy
the possibility to talk to a customer advisor
shopping snapshots

Moreover, this approach is part of an ecological approach. By limiting stocks and facilitating the virtual visit, a brand can offer its customers a virtual visit that will save the buyer an energy-intensive journey. This is particularly true when setting up a showroom to present a collection. For example, the virtual showrooms of the Kenzo brand have enabled a 1200 tons of CO2. This is a whole new experience in phygitalat the crossroads between the physical and the digital. Moreover, it is also the beginning of v-commerce, in case you want to turn it into a virtual shop.

All you have to do is try it for yourself : Try the experience.