What Will Virtual Reality In Retail Look Like?

With consumer versions of virtual reality headsets just around the corner from wide-scale market releases, retailers are finally confronting a question that used to be fantasy for a long while: What do they actually do with virtual reality when they get their hands on it?

A variety of experts weighed in on the topic for RetailDive, with a noted emphasis on the importance of mobile in the adoption of low-cost virtual reality equipment. Abi Mandelbaum, CEO of VR platform YouVisit, explained how even though a $1,400 Oculus Rift may seem like cutting-edge tech, what virtual reality in retail needs right now is a way in with consumers.

“Mobile will be a huge driver for consumer adoption of VR,” Mandelbaum told RetailDive. “Consumers today are much more hesitant to go out and initially purchase a VR headset in order to try the technology. By enabling consumers to instead view VR experiences through their mobile device, we are able to completely lower the barriers to adoption because they are already comfortable and familiar with mobile technology.”

This issue of familiarity and consumer experience with a new technology was repeatedly stressed by Mandelbaum and others. Will the average shopper jump on virtual reality to augment their regular habits like they did eCommerce, or are retailers just wasting their time? Liraz Margalit, of customer experience solutions startup Clicktale, told RetailDive that retailers should be backing virtual reality, if only because it adds a critical part of the in-store experience back into the world of eCommerce.

“In eCommerce, the experience is still two dimensional, and the biggest challenge is up-sell and cross-sell,” Margalit said. “When you think about virtual commerce, the future of it, you will able to immerse yourself into the store. You’ll be able to pick up products, look around, see other items nearby.”