E-commerce has had a revolutionary effect on retail since its introduction. Exacerbated by the global pandemic, we are now seeing the need for a stronger and more engaging online presence than ever before.

While customers still want variety, value and fast fulfillment, many value the confidence that comes with stepping inside a physical store. With that said, in-store shopping has its drawbacks. Being physically present in a busy store is time-consuming and inconvenient for a lot of us. Online shopping, on the other hand, can be quite a robotic experience with the more passive consumer relying solely on their connection with the product as opposed to the store. 

A hybrid shopping experience

360° Virtual shopping tours provide a solid solution by combining the benefits of physical and online stores to create a more memorable shopping experience. Described as an extension of online shopping, consumers can feel more of a connection to the business by roaming around a digital twin of their actual physical store. This instills the necessary trust between the consumer and business they are buying from whilst still availing of all of the conveniences of online shopping.

How it works

360° Virtual shoppers can simply navigate around a store’s actual location using their phones, laptops or VR Headsets. If skipping the parking and queues isn’t enough, they can shop around for their favourite items by clicking on the displayed items to open multi-faceted windows displaying all of the relevant product information. The final steps of ‘adding to cart’, entering shipping information and adding payment details can all be completed on the same virtual tour tab. What’s even better is that in return for this more human experience with e-commerce, online shoppers are also more likely to convert to walk-in customers, too. 

No matter what industry one works in, trends in consumer behaviour should be taken seriously and businesses need to keep up with the pack and adapt to any changes. Although it might sound quite futuristic, virtual shopping is already making quite an impact across the retail sector.

For those without a brick-and-mortar retail business, 3-D renderings of a virtual shop can be created without the expense of buying or renting physical property and furniture. Online shoppers can still connect through this space as it offers the opportunity to add personality to the experience.