Shopify Inc (SHOP)

[Capt_Smith77]

The future of VR in E-commerce applications. An older piece, but well worth the read as the head of VR with Shopify answers questions relating to the future of shopping in the 3D world.

http://www.ecommercefuel.com/virtual-reality-shopping-online/

How Shopify Is Using VR

Daniel: Yeah, so we see VR as a new medium that’s here to stay. I mean, it really has the potential of changing the world, and it’s going to become more and more popular, and I think integrated into our lives, and naturally people are going to want to be able to shop in it in the same way that people wanted to be able to shop on mobile phones. So, our goal with it is to kind of see “Well, how can we help make that happen and how can we help us get to that point faster?” But it’s more than just from a shopping angle, because a lot of people think, “Oh virtual reality in commerce, yeah, like put me inside a 3D mall where I can pick up products.” And, that’s kind of just one part of that, and in some ways that’s kind of a limited view on it.

So, the example I always give is that of like a camping store. If you wanted to buy a tent in VR, would you rather be in a virtual representation of a camping store or in a virtual representation of the mountain you’d be camping on or the forest that you’d be camping in? So for the first time ever, brands can actually put people in the stories that their products tell. And that’s still just about the consumer, right?

How can VR benefit the merchant? So everything from product customization, like they can actually load up a 3D model of their product, see how it’s built, play around with different prototypes, all within VR. Even stuff like “Which box should I ship my product in?” And being able to see a 3D model of your product in a 3D box and be like “Oh, it could pack in like this and we can do this type of packaging.” It just helps people visualize stuff in a much better way. Or even to stuff like planning out their retail spaces, and so our goal with this is just to see how can VR help commerce as a whole? Everything from empowering the merchants, to empowering the customers, and making a better experience for everyone.