How Can Virtual Reality Reshape Furniture Retailing?

Abstract

The authors explore the potential that Virtual Reality (VR) offers for the future of furniture retailing. For that purpose, they develop an Internet-based Virtual Reality Integrated Solution (VRIS) system that allows viewers to select furniture (sofa, chair, and table) to set up a living room. They also develop a two-dimensional static, image-based system as a control to test the effectiveness of VR over conventional formats of two-dimensional interfaces. The results demonstrate that enhancing consumers' ability to visualize furniture coordination produces significant, positive differences in their product experiences and decision-making. The authors propose that VR-integrated Web sites should function as a virtual front door to brick-and-mortar stores. They outline a click-and-brick strategy for furniture retailing and describe how the VRIS system can contribute to shaping furniture retailing in fast-moving and unpredictable markets.