Virtual Shopping

2017 promises to be a big year for VR, and we can’t wait to see what that means for the future of shopping. We’re not the only ones keen on the potential of this space: Goldman Sachs estimated that the market for virtual-reality retail would be worth $1.6 billion by 2025. Retailers are already beginning to experiment with the potential of virtual reality to connect with consumers in new and exciting ways.

In May of this year, eBay Australia founded the first Virtual Reality Department Store, the country’s largest mid-market department store chain.

By using eBay Shopticals1, you browse and sort through floating items using your eyes. The searchby-sight technology allows you to select items by holding your gaze.

Later on in November, just ahead of “Single’s Day”（a Chinese festival when people buy themselves presents for being single）, e-commerce giant Alibaba introduced Buy+2, a virtual reality universe where you can visit familiar shopping destinations like Macy’s and Target.

Put on a headset and immediately you’ll be able to wander through empty malls, gaze at items of interest, and nod your head “yes” to make a purchase.

If Alibaba’s Buy+ platform seems less like magic and more like an eerie Neverland right now, that’s because it’s early days. VR retail experiments are just the tip of the iceberg for the future of retail tech.

注解 Notes

1. Shopticals: 一种定制的购物头显设备，佩戴定制的Shopticals VR头显后，用户登录相应APP，首次购买前设置购物兴趣，然后商店会根据用户偏好进行定制设计。用户可通过活动头部和眼部进行浏览，仅需盯着物品几秒钟即可选定商品，同时产品的详细规格信息也将一览无余。

2. Buy+: Buy+使用虚拟现实技术，能够100%还原真实场景，并利用TMC三维动作捕捉技术捕捉动作并触发虚拟环境的反馈。据悉Buy+将突破时间和空间的限制，真正实现各地商场随便逛，各类商品随便试。