5 minute read
Leigh Davidson, Managing Director - UK, Europe and International at 3D Cloud by Marxent, lays out five reasons why savvy retailers are investing in 3D visualisation technologies.
3D visualisation technology
3dthe time for is now
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Leigh Davidson, Managing Director - UK, Europe and International at 3D Cloud by Marxent, lays out five reasons why savvy retailers are investing in 3D visualisation technologies.
These are uncertain times. Shoppers are weighing their options more carefully and taking longer to make decisions, but they are still actively planning furniture, kitchen, bath, and decking projects with the intent to buy.
Retailers that invested in 3D visualisation prior to the downturn are netting high quality leads now while preparing for the future of immersive retail experiences.
When it comes to 3D, it’s time to lean in
The economy has dips and bubbles. Always has. Those of us who have lived through enough of them know that tech will emerge victorious and the market will come back. 3D is a solid investment, delivering return on investment today while providing building blocks for retail’s future state - including the metaverse. When retail roars back, retailers who have invested in 3D will be poised to win.
There’s no way to control the macroeconomic environment itself, so perspective is everything.
Why 3D, why now?
When the market is uncertain, decision-making on major purchases slows. Most consumers are worried about energy prices, so fantasies of upgrading a home, a new car, holidays or even a fresh pair of trainers are sadly not within reach.
What is harder to see is that even though the consideration phase may last longer for furniture and home improvement projects, the projects still exist and people are still thinking about buying - which, of course, is the natural precursor to actually buying.
Enterprise retailers looking to invest in 3D are also making thoughtful choices. Even so, waiting too long to invest in the next generation of retail customer experiences means a struggle to catch up long after the downturn has been forgotten.
Simply put, if you’re waiting for things to get better, you are already behind.
The good news is that it’s faster and easier to start than you think. Here are five reasons enterprise retailers are prioritising 3D tech investments during the downturn:
1. Purchase planning is alive and well
Consumers are clearly anxious but they are still planning future purchases. Over the past three months, we’ve seen almost no drop-off in the usage of our 3D Room Planner suite of tools, such as our kitchen and storage planners. It’s true that people are taking longer to buy, but they are still planning major purchases.
2. Conversion is king
Conversion rates online and in-store are more critical than ever. Among furniture retailers, we have seen sessions drop but conversion on augmented reality product views is up as much as 377% year over year to the tune of millions of dollars in sales.
Yes, you read that correctly. Less overall volume, much higher conversion rates. AR is working. More impressively, 3D product configurators for the home are seeing a combination of higher volume of usage, doubled conversion rates and +25% AOV.
The John Lewis & Partners 3D visualisation app for home design appointments.
3D visualisation technology
3. Dwell time and differentiation
The more 3D shopping tools, the more positive engagement. Retailers with multiple 3D shopping or project planning experiences deployed to support the buying journey see cross-tool utilisation that naturally leads to more dwell time engaging with brands and products.
It’s simple, the more engaging 3D tools, more time on site and more value add store minutes and hours.
4. The more time spent, the more quality the lead
Shoppers who contact design studios spend double the amount of time in 3D design tools such as our 3D Room Planner before they buy. On average, quality leads spend 60 minutes using 3D design tools prior to requesting an appointment.
Once they contact design services, they have a better idea of what they want and are ready to buy. Bonus: they spend up to 40% more when they checkout.
5. Millennial homeowners are hungry for 3D tools
While home ownership has barely increased over the past decade, there are hopes of a housing revolution to help the eager wave of younger and more property-savvy generation of homebuyers.
Among Millennials and even Gen-Z, research shows that many are looking to buy and refurbish a house themselves, according to a recent study from Moveable, a property concierge platform. This audience is used to doing everything online. They will look for houses online and want to furnish and remodel their homes with online tools. Get started quickly before you get behind
Advancing 3D initiatives doesn’t require a big team. Operating responsibly during a downturn can include figuring out how to advance major initiatives with fewer employees.
Choosing stable, proven, retail tech vendors who offer you that flexibility can make 3D initiatives possible without adding headcount. If you think you need to hire a big team and do it yourself, think again.
While it makes total sense to focus on today and survive the current downturn, continued sensible investment in the future is what will separate retailers who merely survive from retailers who will thrive on the other side.
Because there is another side. Things will pick up and those with 3D initiatives and evergreen 3D libraries will prove victorious.
About 3D Cloud by Marxent
Trusted by top furniture and home improvement retailers in the US, UK, Europe, and Australasia, 3D Cloud by Marxent offers the only scalable, secure, and proven, 3D PIM and CMS platform purpose built for retailers and manufacturers.
• Full suite of 3D apps • Enterprise class 3D PIM & CMS • Launch in just eight to ten weeks
To request a demo, visit 3Dcloud.com or email Leigh Davidson at leigh@marxent.com
Retailers that invested in 3D visualisation prior to the downturn are netting high quality leads now while preparing for the future of immersive retail experiences.
One platform,
every 3D commerce journey.
