From virtual to real, the art of making product features as tangible as possible in a e-commerce : Ultrō at Maison&Objet Retail Coaching talks

The Quest for a Shopping Experience as Realistic as Possible is Not New

As early as 2005, serious initiatives (which may seem somewhat whimsical to us today) emerged to try to make online shopping experiences more personalized and realistic. This (sadly very pixelated) screenshot is one of the few remnants of a virtual dressing experience created by La Redoute, where users could create a clone of themselves and simulate trying on outfits and accessories.

It is Important to remeber that, at this time, E-Commerce was in a strong development phase. We witnessed major technological advancements, as well as the emergence of websites and platforms that would shape the way we purchase products (2005: creation of Amazon Prime, 2007: launch of the first iPhone, 2008: birth of the Magento e-commerce platform).

In 2010, B2C e-commerce sales in France reached 31 billion euros (+24% compared to 2009). This period can be considered a golden age. The internet was a vast El Dorado, where every opportunity was there for the taking.

From 2010 Onward, There Was a Surge in Initiatives Around E-Commerce and 3D

The goal was to get as close as possible to what consumers seek in a physical shopping experience: entertainment, mental escape, aesthetic and emotional pleasure, social interactions, and the ability to handle the product in-store.

It’s important to remember that in 2010, the in-store shopping experience was very different from what we can experience today: fewer international brands, little or no fast fashion, and the discovery of brands and their products primarily took place in physical stores. One could almost call it slow shopping.

At that time, two types of experimentation emerged: a first one focused on the virtualization of the point of sale, and a second one on the materialization of the virtual product in the real environment.

At that time, initiatives like those of achatdesign.com were quite rare, especially among retailers whose catalogs could contain hundreds of references. The setup cost remained particularly high, as pointed out by its founder, Vincent Boutillier, in this interview excerpt.

However, its widespread use is hindered by a set of limitations:

• Cost (e.g., €1500 for 3D modeling per frame at Atol)
• Technology (the experience is only available through mobile apps that need to be installed or a webcam, which is often of low quality)
• A phenomenon of gadgetization of the technology by brands and the media.

15 years later, technology is no longer a barrier to immersion

Video, virtual reality, and 3D are increasingly accessible. This is made easier by the capabilities of web browsers, smartphones, and high-speed internet.

Omnipresent Video

The example of Moncler (below) is interesting for several reasons. The 360-degree rotation allows the viewer to appreciate the item from all angles, as well as the details of its material thanks to the lighting sweep.

Video allows cosmetic brands to reveal the behavior of their products before, during, and after application.
An essential tool to showcase the texture, fluidity, and viscosity of creams and serums.

The "virtualization" of objects is no longer an inaccessible feat

Brands and retailers can now rely on the services of specialized providers to enhance the product experience on their e-commerce sites.

As with many other services related to e-commerce, the enhancement of the product experience through 3D or augmented reality has become the domain of specialized providers. These companies handle the modeling and implementation on the e-commerce platform. Here are a few very successful examples:

It would have been hard not to mention artificial intelligence, as it plays an increasingly important role in digital merchandising

Although it is not yet fully mature, there are already some quite impressive use cases. Brands can now generate product displays to replace traditional photo shoots, or even create videos in which mannequins, generated from prompts, walk the runway showcasing their collections.

Is there a measurable impact of these technologies on the purchasing decision?

Some significant case studies written by providers show promising results, as seen below. However, a recent study by the Baymard Institute offers more mixed conclusions: 87% of users would deliberately avoid using AR features in the furniture shopping experience.

Therefore, we cannot speak of a direct impact on purchases, but rather of side effects, or dispersed effects, across different aspects of the customer experience.

• Certain technologies will help enhance the product, improve its presentation, and make it more desirable (3D, video).
• We see that augmented reality experiences help reduce return rates, particularly for experiential goods such as furniture and luggage.
• Artificial intelligence could allow retailers to generate hyper-realistic product displays at optimized costs.

In the Absence of Resources, What Are Some Accessible and Effective Best Practices?

According to another study conducted by the Baymard Institute, 42% of users try to evaluate the volume or size of a product based on the images provided. This instinct seems obvious to us, but it is not always well considered by retailers.

As we can see in the three screenshots below, it is sometimes impossible to assess the dimensions or actual volume of an object. Only the green vase photographed on a head and held by hands can be accurately measured through the photos (third screenshot - Hopono).

A Few Simple Recommendations to Implement That Don’t Require Advanced Technical Resources