VR technology has been increasingly popular in the mobile and desktop online shopping industry in recent years, and industry forecasting predicts the market will grow from $6.7 billion this year to nearly $70 billion by 2020. (Image: Hanssem)
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — An increasing number of South Korean companies are using virtual reality in their marketing campaigns as the latest technology that allows people to thoroughly experience products online before purchasing has proven to improve customer satisfaction.
VR technology has been increasingly popular in the mobile and desktop online shopping industry in recent years, and industry forecasting predicts the market will grow from $6.7 billion this year to nearly $70 billion by 2020.
Hanssem, a South Korean interior design company that specializes in kitchens and bathrooms, is among the many companies to provide a VR-based service to customers.
The company’s ‘Home Planner’ service allows customers to plan furniture arrangements in a realistic setting in detail including furniture, household décor items and even materials.
As customers can choose furniture to their liking and place it in an ideal arrangement before purchasing, complaints over the size of furniture have more than halved since the service was introduced, according to a Hanssem official.
“Virtual Reality can help reduce buyer’s remorse and raises customer satisfaction. We expect a VR technology-based shopping environment to be created with no boundaries between online and offline,” a Hanssem official said.
Earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress, Samsung Electronics introduced a new VR technology-based device called ‘Relumino’, which helps the visually impaired to process images better, as well as ‘VuildUs’, a service similar to Hanssem’s Home Planner, allowing consumers to create a virtual space to help plan furniture purchases.
Online-to-offline lodging booking service ‘goodchoice.kr’ has been offering a 360-degree VR service to help users choose rooms since last August, allowing customers to look and see how clean and well designed the rooms are before booking.
An increasing number of South Korean companies including Hyundai Department Store are using virtual reality in their marketing campaigns as the latest technology that allows people to thoroughly experience products online before purchasing has proven to improve customer satisfaction. (Image: Hyundai Department Store)
“Over 1,000 lodging business operators in partnership with our 360-degree VR service have reported a revenue increase of 15 percent on average. Thanks to this service, over 80 percent of customers say they can trust the affiliates,” an official at goodchoice.kr said.
Amid growing interest and the effectiveness of VR technology-based marketing campaigns, the South Korean government is also set to open a new online shopping complex at the end of next month, coinciding with the Korea Sale FESTA 2017, which will be held from September 28 to October 31, with many of the business participants set to offer a VR service this year.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
