La-Z-Boy offers virtual shopping – in 3D
A vertical furniture retailer is envisioning augmented and virtual reality-enhanced customer experiences.
La-Z-Boy is offering several 3D augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools to customers, sales associates, and designers. The retailer is supporting these applications on the Marxent 3D cloud platform.
Customer-facing initiatives include a 360-degree product viewer with 3D product configurator, which allows consumers to virtually customize and explore products with 360-degree product spins. Shoppers visit the product page of the chair style that they prefer, then add or change upholstery selections and details in real time. They can add the final configured product to their cart.
Reusing the same 3D assets as the 360-degree product viewer and configurator, La-Z-Boy has also worked with Marxent to deploy 3D room planner solutions for consumers on the web for home use, and on iPads for store associates and interior designers. La-Z-Boy designers use these applications to develop and deliver interior design concepts to clients.
The retailer has also begun installing a VR solution that enables store associates and designers to link 3D rooms designed on the iPad to a VR headset with the touch of a button, giving customers the opportunity to virtually walk around and experience their space. And launched in 2019, the La-Z-Boy AR app, available for iOS devices, allows customers to preview a wide variety of La-Z-Boy furniture in AR. Users can see exactly how their new furniture will fit in their home, and can save images for texting, email or social media posting.
“La-Z-Boy is famous for innovative product design and an unmatched furniture buying experience,” said Eli Winkler, chief marketing officer for La-Z-Boy. “It is our firm belief that the customer should get exactly what they envision. 3D visualization applications have become essential to delivering on that promise. 3D is woven throughout the La-Z-Boy customer experience, both online and in-store. When we saw that 3D was becoming central to our customer experience, we knew it made sense to build all of our 3D experiences off of a single platform.”
A number of retailers are using VR and AR technology solutions to digitally bring home furnishings products to life and provide realistic simulations of how furniture items would look in a customer’s personal space. Examples launched in 2019 include Bob’s Discount Furniture, Amazon, and Ikea.
Headquartered in Monroe, Mich., La- Z- Boy operates over 900 stores across the U.S. and is a division of residential furniture producer La-Z-Boy Inc.