Report: AI, VR offer ‘massive opportunities’ for home furnishings giant
Ikea is looking to leverage artificial intelligence and virtual reality to better connect with customers.
Noticing a “major shift” in technology over recent years, Ikea has started testing AI and VR, according to CNBC .
Ikea began its VR journey in September, when it launched an augmented reality app that enables shoppers to virtually test-drive merchandise before making a purchase.
While there aren’t any specific expansion plans for the technology, Ikea is approaching the virtual technology with an open mind. "Like most retailers, we don't know exactly where we will land at the end of it, but our curiosity and willingness to create will be a guide for us," Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ikea, said in the report.
Many retailers are evaluating the power of AI and VR as a means of competing with online giant Amazon. While some companies are still intimidated by the emergence of these solutions — especially the power of AI, Marc Metrick, president of luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue, suggested that companies embrace their functionality.
"When you think about the online versus the offline experience, we don't need AI in our stores. We have ‘I,’” Metrick said in an earlier CNBC report.
Noticing a “major shift” in technology over recent years, Ikea has started testing AI and VR, according to CNBC .
Ikea began its VR journey in September, when it launched an augmented reality app that enables shoppers to virtually test-drive merchandise before making a purchase.
While there aren’t any specific expansion plans for the technology, Ikea is approaching the virtual technology with an open mind. "Like most retailers, we don't know exactly where we will land at the end of it, but our curiosity and willingness to create will be a guide for us," Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ikea, said in the report.
Many retailers are evaluating the power of AI and VR as a means of competing with online giant Amazon. While some companies are still intimidated by the emergence of these solutions — especially the power of AI, Marc Metrick, president of luxury department store Saks Fifth Avenue, suggested that companies embrace their functionality.
"When you think about the online versus the offline experience, we don't need AI in our stores. We have ‘I,’” Metrick said in an earlier CNBC report.