Today’s consumers seek clarity in their purchasing decisions, a need often unmet in online shopping. Numerous e-commerce platforms still rely on static and incomplete product imagery, creating gaps that make it challenging for customers to fully understand what they are buying before making a decision.
When customers can’t preview their item thoroughly, considering all angles and multiple contexts, the likelihood of returns increases. As a result, online retailers grapple with logistical issues, face rising operational costs, and experience a decline in customer loyalty. Our recent consumer sentiment research found that 72% of consumers are less likely to shop on an e-commerce site again if the product they receive does not match the image depicted.
The competitive environment intensifies this challenge as online retailers compete for consumer attention and market share against visually captivating platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Immersive technologies such as computer-generated imagery (CGI), 3D imaging, augmented reality, and AI have emerged as solutions for e-commerce businesses to address these issues. These technologies empower retailers of all sizes to present a comprehensive and engaging representation of their products. By the end of 2024, the widespread adoption of immersive tech is poised to redefine the online shopping experience, leveling the playing field for businesses of all scales.
Elevating Customer Satisfaction Through Immersive Retail Experiences
AI has the potential to transform the shopping experience, particularly through applications like virtual assistants and chatbots. Generative AI enhances natural language understanding, enabling more seamless and context-aware conversations. Virtual assistants and chatbots can be programmed to communicate in multiple languages, supporting retail businesses in a global market.
Additionally, immersive technology advances offer enhanced personalization opportunities. For instance, customers can utilize product visualization tools to customize products based on preferences like colors, patterns, and designs. Take Levi’s AI-enabled chatbot, Virtual Stylist,, which employs natural language processing to understand customer preferences for a pair of jeans, reducing the frustration of finding the perfect fit.
These immersive experiences not only meet customer expectations but also differentiate retailers, improving operational efficiency and immediately impacting the bottom line by reducing product returns. The synergy of AI and immersive tech is a game-changer, enhancing customer satisfaction and driving sales.
Augmented Reality Reshaping E-Commerce
Another technology with transformative implications for e-commerce is augmented reality. AR in retail is estimated to reach $61.3 billion by 2031, growing 41.4% annually. Walmart has new AR features on its mobile app that enable customers to visualize furniture, home decor pieces, and even appliances in their living space with just a few clicks. Shoppers can also tap into Walmart’s “View in 3D” feature, which enables them to zoom in on products and move them around so they can see them from every angle and make more informed decisions about their purchases. Many sales are lost at the point when uncertainty creeps in. By eliminating this uncertainty, Walmart is driving higher conversion rates and increasing sales. In fact, our data shows that 50% of shoppers are more likely to purchase a piece of furniture if they can visualize it in their space using the camera on their smartphone.
Another integral part of AR in retail is 3D and CGI technologies, which offer more visual information than traditional product photography. Unlike traditional photos, with 3D visualization, retailers can adapt product imagery for highly personalized and dynamic customer experiences, enabling consumers to engage with merchandise in a more immersive manner. Lowe’s is a great example, using AR to allow customers to access products via its ‘View in Your Space app. After scanning, they virtually place the product in their space for a 360-degree view.
Visual Automation is the Backbone of Immersive Retail
Visual Automation has emerged as a linchpin of immersive retail, transforming various facets of retail operations. In this dynamic landscape, automation finds its sweet spot in areas where real-time responsiveness is crucial, overcoming the limitations of traditional workflows. For example, automation paired with CGI reduces costs, saves time, and provides unparalleled flexibility, consistency, and effectiveness in meeting diverse marketing and operational needs.
Heinz’s rapid response to Taylor Swift’s viral chicken tenders moment, releasing a limited edition of ‘Seemingly Ranch’ within a day, is automation at work. This innovative blend of human creativity and cutting-edge automation, in which the company created product imagery/videos using CGI, not only garnered brand awareness but also generated a product with a pre-manufacturing waitlist, showcasing the power of rapid idea-to-reality execution in today’s retail landscape.
The Power of 3D Visualization
Immersive retail promises a better shopping experience for customers, in which they find what they want, know that the images they see online will match the item that arrives on their doorstep, and get recommendations for products they hadn’t realized they wanted. As retailers embrace these immersive enhancements, they will drive sales, optimize their operational performance, and elevate their customers’ experience.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandre de Vigan, CEO, Nfinite
Alexandre holds a Master’s degree in business law and taxation from the University of Assas, then Colombia University (USA). He completes his scholarship with a Master’s degree in management at HEC (2011). Alexandre started his career as a business lawyer, specialized in mergers and acquisitions. Then he began his entrepreneurial vocation in 2014 and founded his first start-up Matchimmo, an online real estate acquisition platform. In 2016, after facing the difficulty of decorating his 1st apartment, he created nfinite (ex hubstairs).