The magic of virtual showrooms

An interactive online experience with expert advice and adventure

by Julia Pott (exclusively for EuroCIS.mag)

Experiences during the Corona pandemic have shown that in the spaces between personal, physical in-store shopping and the more impersonal, rigid web store there is the potential for richer shopping experiences. With impressive online showrooms, many retailers and brands have tried to bridge this gap.

Let’s have a look at some of these latest showrooms.

Play, learn and browse – the virtual customer journey

Charlotte Tilbury, arguably one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the UK with her beauty brand is excited by new technologies and their possibilities: “I believe there is a fine line between advanced technology and magic.”

Under Charlotte Tilbury’s leadership as founder, president and chief creative officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, the virtual Beauty Wonderland was created.

In the virtual store, customers can research products and purchase them online. //© Charlotte Tilbury Beauty; Screenshot https://www.charlottetilbury.com/us/virtual-store#/

When users win small online games – on a dance floor with nine fields, for example, they have to remember “steps” – they receive discount codes for the online store.//© Charlotte Tilbury Beauty; Screenshot https://www.charlottetilbury.com/us/virtual-store#/

Moreover, various bait offers and video content are hidden everywhere. //© Charlotte Tilbury Beauty; Screenshot https://www.charlottetilbury.com/us/virtual-store#/

Customers move through the virtual world via avatars, whose appearance they can design themselves. Online events also take place within the virtual environment, sometimes with celebrity guests. Make-up and skin care tutorials can be attended online as well. //© Charlotte Tilbury Beauty; Screenshot https://www.charlottetilbury.com/us/virtual-store#/

In the virtual showroom of Genelec, manufacturer of audio technology from Finland, the focus is clearly on product information.

The showroom is divided into three areas: one for AV installation at home, one for equipping larger objects such as offices, and a third for professional equipment for sound studios.//© Genelec; Screenshot https://showroom.genelec.com/

In the well laid out and beautifully designed showroom for the home TV and loudspeaker system, selected products are displayed. The presentation of easy to grasp product features and the possibility to get more detailed information on data sheets and product pages enables a successful customer journey for every user. //© Genelec; Screenshot https://showroom.genelec.com/

The composition of the products from the individual components is also clearly shown, as in the case of this table speaker. At some points, additional resources are available to delve deeper into the expertise surrounding the technology. //© Genelec; Screenshot https://showroom.genelec.com/

In addition, consumers can select their personal color scheme from the screen and speakers in an AV system.//© Genelec; Screenshot https://showroom.genelec.com /

Business Development Director Ken Kimura of Genelec describes the evolution to this virtual presence this way: “One of the powerful effects of the pandemic was to focus our minds on how to communicate more effectively via digital marketing channels. So, we used that period of enforced disruption to explore how to engage closely with our customers in the virtual world, and the Virtual Showroom was a natural result of that planning process – complementing our well-established website and social media channels.”

Showrooming at its best: Brand experience, product details, consultation

The French textile label Lacoste shows how an impressive brand presentation can succeed. The user moves through the virtual store by hopping along with the famous crocodile of the Lacoste logo.

The virtual environment is divided into three areas: a gallery, where selected products and video content are displayed; a larger store, called “the space”; and the “UNDW3 room,” Lacoste’s NFT project, which can only be entered after registering as an NFT owner. //© Lacoste; Screenshot https://www.lacoste.com/gb/virtual-store.html

The online store impresses with a modern look and successful branding. //© Lacoste; Screenshot https://www.lacoste.com/gb/virtual-store.html

What sets the Lacoste store apart from some others is not only the cool brand presentation but also the virtual architecture: Lacoste utilizes the height of the virtual space as well. As a user, you can move up the walls to below the ceiling and take in a 360-degree view, because there are product placements everywhere. Inexperienced users may well get a little dizzy. //© Lacoste; Screenshot https://www.lacoste.com/gb/virtual-store.html

© FIAT

One industry in which online showrooms have experienced a real boom is the automotive sector. Not only the luxury brands, but also almost all other automotive groups have created virtual worlds where customers can explore the cars online.

FIAT’s Metaverse store focuses on personal consultation. Interested parties can only enter the interactive showroom by

appointment. But then they receive personal advice from employees from the first question to the conclusion of the purchase.

Customers can be shown product details and features up close. In addition, customization of details such as bodywork, color and interior trim allows an individual preview in real time. In addition, FIAT offers the replication of the driving experience on selected models.

Hyundai also offers its customers an online showroom to discover its car models.

HiHere, users move independently through the showroom and should still have the feeling of being in a physical store: With appropriate background noises and sound effects – for example, when the car doors open – they explore the showroom.er bewegen sich User selbstständig durch den Showroom und sollen trotzdem das Gefühl haben, im physischen Geschäft zu stehen: Mit entsprechenden Hintergrundgeräuschen und Soundeffekten – beispielsweise beim Öffnen der Autotüren – erkundet man den Ausstellungsraum. // © Hyundai Motor UK

There is an integrated online form for the individual models, which can be used to arrange test drives at local car dealers. //© Hyundai Motor UK; Screenshot https://www.hyundaiexperience.com/environment/assurance_showroom

At each virtual car there are info points about certain product details. // © Hyundai Motor UK; Screenshot https://www.hyundaiexperience.com/environment/assurance_showroom

Users can also enter the car and examine the interior. Information on possible product features is also offered here. // © Hyundai Motor UK; Screenshot https://www.hyundaiexperience.com/environment/assurance_showroom

This virtual showroom also came about because of the challenges posed by the Corona pandemic, explains Ashley Andrew, managing director at Hyundai Motor UK: “Since then, we have all had to adapt to new ways of living and working. This brand space has quickly become a significant part of our customers’ journey and we will continue to evolve it for the future.” // © Hyundai Motor UK

Retailers as multipliers for product experiences and customer journeys

Virtual showrooms of brands are not only a good opportunity for the companies themselves, but also for retailers to advise, inspire and retain customers.

The Virtual Kitchen online showroom from Sharp Home Electronics – integrated here on the website of appliance retailer Mrs. G Appliances – is one such multiplication tool for retailers.

“We rely on retail partnerships to reach consumers with Sharp appliances. Still, it is our responsibility to make the shopping experience more convenient and innovative along the way,” James Sanduski, president of Sharp Home Electronics Company, explains the thinking behind the showroom. “Online shoppers deserve a heightened, digital experience that compliments the physical storefront while contributing new and tangible value to the consumer and retailer.”// © Sharp Home Electronics Company

Since this is a tool for expert advice, extensive product information and details must not be missing, of course. For each kitchen appliance in the 3D kitchen, different menu items can be navigated to learn more about functions and features. // © Sharp Home Electronics Company

Another retailer using the Sharp showroom is Reno’s Appliance, operating in the state of New Jersey in the US. President and CEO John Cioletti is excited about this new tool: “We are proud of the shopping experience we offer customers from our physical storefront, so to have such an engaging digital option is a game-changer. For regional businesses and showrooms around the country, Sharp’s virtual experience unlocks the potential for wider reach and a more compelling sales environment.” // © Sharp Home Electronics Company

Virtual showrooms allow users to enjoy a self-determined shopping experience from the comfort of their sofa, combining many of the advantages of brick-and-mortar and online retail. Brands and retailers who take advantage of this opportunity to make their products and their brand interactive, exciting, and individually experienceable can thus excellently complement their legacy identity and their web presence. Although cutting edge, the full range of possibilities remains vast as retailers jump into this world with renewed focus.