Retails company and American institution Macy’s has announced a partnership with virtual reality (VR) company Marxent, which will see roughly 70 VR installations added to Macy’s stories across the USA. In partnership with Marxent, Macy’s is hoping to use VR to help customers make informed buying decisions.
Macy’s previously rolled out VR as a pilot to three of its stores. As a result, those stores have seen furniture sales where VR was involved increase by more than 60%, and returns decrease to less than 2%. The VR system allows customers to more accurately visualise their spaces.
“Macy’s is constantly looking for ways to bring excitement and fresh experiences to our customers. Through the Macy’s VR furniture experience, we are giving our customers a new way to visualize a large selection of furniture products. Customers design their living space and, using a VR headset, immerse themselves in the virtual rooms they create. VR is a practical application proven to drive sales and a terrific example of combining technology and the human touch,” said Hal Lawton, president of Macy’s.
“With Macy’s VR furniture experience, customers can take a 2D floorplan and transition it to 3D in real time,” said Beck Besecker, co-founder and CEO of Marxent. “Macy’s VR for furniture is an easy to use application and consumers have a huge selection to choose from. The technology decreases return rates and VR gives customers a real omnichannel experience”
The use of the VR furniture experience has allowed stores to display a much greater range of furniture options to customers using a small space. The company is also experimenting with augmented reality (AR) with an AR experience titled ‘See Your Space IRL’. This technology lets customers place virtual furniture into their actual living spaces.
See Your Space IRL is now available through Macy’s smartphone app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, compatible with the iPhone 7 or newer. An Android version is planned for 2019.
For future coverage on new applications for AR and VR technology, keep checking back with VRFocus.
