Overstock

VR & AR in Retail - Examples of Use Cases & Solutions

VR experts Spinview follow the mantra 'don't do VR for VR's sake' and focus on providing great business results for retailers looking to transform the consumer experience. Their in-situ environments and cutting-edge eye-tracking research gives deep analysis in a cost-effective way that has already won awards. 

 
‘Our VR and AR technology uses visual insights to enable brands to understand how their customers make decisions and how to influence them.  We drive results that are both more accurate and cost-effective than real-world research - and we are really only at the start of the journey.’
— Linda Wade, CEO, Spinview

Co-Authors: Kris Kolo, Nathan Pettyjohn, Jordan Bloomingdale, Barry Hoffman, Danny Gordon, John Wright

 

IKEA application developed by TakeLeap 

 

Participate in our Retail Committee

Retail is making shopping and buying easier and more fun again. For some shoppers and products alike, the full product view is really needed. Below are examples of what our Members are up to. 

For the in-store experience, retailers can now leverage InContext Solutions VR simulations that let executives test store campaigns and displays with analysis and feedback from the program. This could be a game changer for high volume stores, potentially making every customer a conversion.  In one example, the results showed improved KPIs: 7% increase in category sales 14% increase in private label sales; 5% increase in units per buyer; Customer ROI: $920K in incremental sales and $275K in category margin for the retailer.

In another InContext example, by referencing the sales and shopper impact data collected from Indicators, the executive team made a speedy decision about which signage strategy would meet their goals. The results showed Units per buyer and sales for key center of store categories increased within the first 12 weeks following the signage campaign implementation. Over time, the client attributed a Y1 topline increase of $1m to this campaign.

On the product side, Aisle411 3D product cloud enables 3D scanning of consumer products tailored with brand information for the full turnkey needs of a product. The 3D Product Cloud system reduces the time of creating 3D models by an average of 65-70%.  Brands can easily give access to their 3D product models to app developer partners, marketing agency partners, and retail partners;  for use in VR/AR commerce apps and websites. 90% of users prefer augmented reality navigation and experiences over 2D mobile app experiences.   

In another example of aislle level AR, Blue Visual Effects, have been working with the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Franchise to create a fully integrated augmented store package. This includes building deeper messages via AR in all in-store signage, having AR pharmacy hosts that direct consumers to specific departments within the store, co-branded Augmented products with shelf talker callouts and instant coupon delivery based on AR actuation.  

On the lighter side, Strata’s Nu Skin’s Lumi Spa app lets users use a facial massager via AR to see how the product would work. The goal of being to engage customers and provide some entertainment for social sharing.

For Audi, ZeroLight undertakes a range of projects using cutting edge display devices and techniques; it’s virtual reality experience allows users to walk around to explore the car, utilising the large "play area" of the HTC Vive. The user digitally interacts with a fully configurable 5 million polygon car with advanced lighting and effects at 90Hz with sub 20ms latency. Such high performance from the hardware is made possible by ZeroLight's highly optimised visualization solution and means a sickness-free experience for the customer.

With UrCommerce AR solution, users can view products in 3D from their mobile device. For example, they are working with the company ColorMods LLC ; using Augmented Reality to revamp their advertising initiatives, both in print and on their website. They are building out 3D models of the computers that they sell so that customers can visualize them on their phones or tablets. The company also creates posters that enable AR to showcase a product; and even allows users who like the product to purchase via in app link.

Rounding out the promising marriage between retail and AR is Auredi, an augmented reality dining platform, which combines both an in-restaurant and social experience for restaurants and patrons to utilize 3D models of dishes on mobile devices. The company has already signed up several Los Angeles restaurants in a private beta, with customers currently exploring and enjoying all the innovative features the platform offers.

See more use case and case studies here 

Participate in our Retail Committee

Overstock.com Garners Global Attention from VR/AR Association for its AR Shopping App

Amit Goyal, Overstock.com’s SVP of software engineering, chairs VRARA’s global retail and e-commerce committee and forms the Association’s Utah chapter

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SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Months after Overstock.com, Inc.(NASDAQ:OSTK) announced the launch of its augmented reality (AR) feature within its iOS shopping app, the organization’s senior vice president of software engineering, Amit Goyal, was named as the chair to VR/AR Association (VRARA)’s global Retail and E-commerce Committee. Along with Goyal’s responsibility as chair, he will serve as president of the newly formed Utah Chapter, growing VRARA to 51 global chapters, 19 of which are located in the U.S.

“We’re thrilled to have Amit Goyal join VRARA and chair our retail and eCommerce committee,” said Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director of the VR/AR Association. “His retail industry expertise and insight from building Overstock’s shopping app and AR function marks a crucial addition to VRARA’s growth.”

The award-winning iOS shopping app allows shoppers to view how products, like furniture, rugs, décor and other home goods, fit in their home using a smart phone or tablet with iOS11. With true-to-life-size 3D models in the highest resolution, shoppers have an accurate representation of the product directly in their home or office.

“Augmented reality is changing the way people shop,” said Goyal. “At Overstock, we focus on price, assortment and convenience, and our augmented reality feature brings an innovative convenience to shoppers. It’s important for our customers to see how these products will fit with their décor or simply if it will fit in their living rooms. So, we have invested significant resources to insure we are at the leading edge of AR and we’re proud to bring what we’ve learned and achieved to VRARA.”

Comprised of almost 4,000 companies, VRARA is an international organization designed to foster collaboration between innovative companies and people in the virtual reality and augmented reality ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies.

The new AR app feature is currently available on the iOS version of the retailer’s shopping app, and utilizes Apple’s ARKit, which was included in the iOS 11 operating system update. Android app AR functionality featuring Google’s new ARCore technology will follow when that operating system is released.

Overstock’s highly-rated shopping app has been awarded five consecutive Mobile App Awards from the Mobile Web Association. The app is available for download from both the App Store and Google Play.

The VR/AR Association is hosting the biggest VR AR online event from January 16 to 29, 2018 with more than 65 speakers, 3000 RSVPs and 10 symposiums focused on education, enterprise, storytelling, retail, AEC, marketing, advertising, webVR and arcades/LBE/Haptics. You can hear from Goyal on January 18 on VR and AR in retail. For more information on the conference, visit www.thevrara.com/events

About Overstock.com

Overstock.com, Inc. Common Shares (NASDAQ:OSTK) / Series A Preferred (Medici Ventures’ tZERO platform: OSTKP) / Series B Preferred (OTCQX:OSTBP) is an online retailer based in Salt Lake City, Utah that sells a broad range of products at low prices, including furnituredécorrugsbedding, and home improvement. In addition to home goods, Overstock.com offers a variety of products including jewelry, electronics, apparel, and more, as well as a marketplace providing customers access to hundreds of thousands of products from third-party sellers. Additional stores include Pet Adoptions and Worldstock.com dedicated to selling artisan-crafted products from around the world. Forbes ranked Overstock in its list of the Top 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in 2014. Overstock regularly posts information about the company and other related matters under Investor Relations on its website, http://www.overstock.com.

O, Overstock.com, O.com, Club O, Main Street Revolution, and Worldstock are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. O.biz and Space Shift are also trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks and trade names which may be referred to herein are the property of their respective owners.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include all statements other than statements of historical fact. Additional information regarding factors that could materially affect results and the accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained herein may be found in the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on November 8, 2017, and any subsequent filings with the SEC.

Media Contact:
pr@overstock.com

Kris Kolo, VRAR Association (VRARA)
kris@thevrara.com

Investor Contact:
ir@overstock.com

SOURCE: Overstock.com, Inc.