Ikea introduces online virtual reality store that lets customers see furniture up close, wherever they are

Soon, the only reason to step inside an Ikea store could be the meatballs.

The at times wacky Swedish furniture retailer announced the introduction of its new online virtual reality store in Australia yesterday, which will allow customers to don their VR goggles and take a virtual walk through an Ikea store.

Customers in regional areas that have access to the store’s recently rolled-out online shopping offerings can make purchases through the VR application and have them delivered, while inner-city shoppers can organise a click and collect.

While the technology works best with VR goggles, the retailer has also created a basic, non-VR offering to allow users to browse the store from a desktop computer, operating much like Google StreetView.

The company claims the approach is a first for a large-format retailer in Australia. However, Myer also dabbled in VR last year, creating a virtual department store for customers who were unable to get into a bricks and mortar location.

“The Ikea Virtual Reality store has been developed to support our online shopping service. We know that it’s important for customers to see and experience our home furnishings range. Ikea has recently made a move towards online retailing, but we want to offer the full Ikea store experience to our online shoppers,” Ikea Australia multichannel specialist Malcolm Haylett said in a statement. Read more

Dominic Powell - Startup Smart - 16 June 2017