Running a business is a difficult task. You need to hire people, study the market, analyze trends, brainstorm ideas about how to make your product go viral, and beyond. And above all, you should do your best to find fresh ways to make your customers’ experience better and keep them 100% interested in your offering. In this regard, 3D shopping has started to gain popularity.
What is 3D shopping? Simply put, it lets your customers get fully absorbed into the virtual world blurring the boundaries between online and in-store shopping experiences. They can try on clothes, put on makeup, see whether the piece of furniture they’ve chosen will fit their living room, or even explore a car’s features right from their home.
It’s a real breakthrough for retailers. So, let’s explore what 3D shopping actually means for them.
Opportunities for Retailers
- Better customer experience
With 3D shopping, customers get into an immersive atmosphere that simply can’t leave them indifferent: virtual try-ons, the possibility to see a product from any angle, looking at it closer to examine every single detail—all this attracts new customers and makes everyone speak about your brand. By the way, you can even add the magic of AI or AR to your platform to improve your customer experience even further. There are numerous companies offering ready-made solutions that can be easily integrated into your digital space and enrich it with the necessary functionality, saving you a lot of time and effort. For example, TINT is a virtual try-on platform that may be a perfect choice if you’re a beauty retailer. It all depends on the niche you’re interested in. - Competitive advantage
The earlier you add 3D shopping to your business strategy, the better. Why? Because this way, your chances to outdo your competitors are much higher, no matter how crowded the market is. - Increased sales and reduced returns
When customers can interact with a product as they would in reality, they are more likely to buy it. Plus, some brands even give customers the possibility to customize their products. For example, Nike By You lets its consumers become the designers of their footwear. This way, they can both create their own unique shoes and see the final product in 3D before making the purchase, which significantly decreases the number of potential returns. A win-win! - Data insights and personalization
Any retailer will be happy to get insights about their customers’ behavior. With 3D shopping, you can analyze how they interact with your products, discover more about their preferences, and see the buying statistics. In the future, you can use this data to improve your offering and personalize your marketing strategy to your target customers.
Challenges for Retailers
- High initial investment
This one is evident: implementing any modern technology may be expensive, and the 3D shopping tech is no exception. Plus, you’ll need to constantly update 3D models, which can require even more financial resources. So, carefully analyze the return of investment (ROI) to make sure that the potential earnings will be higher than the initial expenses. - Technical complexity
3D shopping tech isn’t the easiest one to implement. Firstly, it requires cutting-edge software and hardware. Plus, you may need to hire skilled professionals specializing in 3D modeling and augmented reality (AR). This can be a significant obstacle, especially for the retailers whose budget is limited. - Consumer adoption and accessibility
All customers are different: there are tech-savvy ones who can start engaging with this new way of shopping in a breeze, while others may feel skeptical and hesitant at first. What you should do is make sure your platform’s interface is user-friendly and easy to understand for everyone to feel confident and more open to the new experience. - Data privacy and security
Still, many customers keep worrying about privacy and security issues. So, all retailers should ensure that every single piece of data collected via the means of 3D shopping is securely kept and protected. This requires ongoing investment in cybersecurity measures and compliance with data protection regulations.
Wrapping It All Up
As you see, the retail world is transforming day after day, and 3D shopping is one of the many changes that occur in it. Yes, adopting this technology may be a tough road to follow, filled with challenges and obstacles along the way. However, it’s hard to ignore the myriad of opportunities it offers: improved customer experience, competitive advantage, a boost in sales, return decrease, and the possibility to explore customers’ behavior in just a tap. There are many more opportunities actually—we’ve just focused on the ones we consider the most appealing. All in all, if you manage to navigate all the complexities 3D shopping poses, your product has every chance to find its place in the sun of the market, reaping all the benefits.
It’s time to stop thinking about shopping as about some simple transaction. It’s growing into something bigger, something that involves interaction, discovery, and personalization. By adding 3D shopping to their platforms, retailers can contribute to creating a future where customers are not just buyers, but active participants of the shopping process. So, are you ready? The future of online shopping is already here, being more immersive than you could ever imagine.
