28 March 2024, 10:15
By Arjen Jelsma Dec 11, 2013

3D personalisation software is a game-changer

The furniture retail market is a highly competitive one. With the economy climbing again retailers are exploring new ways to (re-) connect to the customer. E-commerce has taken a big flight in recent years, and order online/pick up in-store is becoming a commodity fast. 

Conversely, retail brick and mortar sales channels are flat or have a slight increase, and it is predicted that this will be the same in 2014. So how can a furniture retailer get all of their channels moving in the right direction? Well, the next step in connecting to the customer has emerged from a surprising dimension. Think 3D – movies, printing and screen. The next step for 2014 in customer connection is 3D visualisation of furniture, in the actual room of the customer.

Does that sound like the distant future? It is not. 3D printing is hot right now. Even though the technology is 30 years old, mass customer adoption is at hand due to technological improvements. Together with the rise of 3D movies and television it is safe to say that 3D is hot.

How can furniture retail benefit from this perfect storm? Wouldn’t it be great for a customer that is shopping for a new sofa, rug, chair and lamp to see how it will look in their house before they purchase it? Not a bad idea, right?! And wouldn’t it empower the store associate to better and personally assist the customer? It would.

“If the retailer is able to show a 3D representation of their products, in a 3D rendered photograph of the room of the customer, over multiple integrated devices, both online and in-store, then the customer gets the personal experience they demand”

3D design tools like AutoCad are very capable in creating complex 3D representations of a room or product. However, these are specialist tools for specialist designers, and are not suited for the average Jane or Joe. The idea behind these tools, however, is to create a relevant experience for the customer – and the experience is what the customer demands these days, preferably in an omni-channel fashion on all devices, with an integrated and engaging customer experience.

If the retailer is able to show a 3D representation of their products, in a 3D rendered photograph of the room of the customer, over multiple integrated devices, both online and in-store, then the customer gets the personal experience they demand.

Providing this ultimate customer experience is a technological challenge. Not many software providers offer the entire package. Either their omni-channel integration lacks, or the 3D rendering of a product isn’t optimal, or the room it projects it in isn’t 3D at all. There might, however, be one or two exceptions. Loft by NedSense, for example, provides an outstanding 3D representation of the products, and is able to project these in a 3D visualisation of the actual room of the customer, based on one photograph.

US retail giant Crate And Barrel is using Loft by NedSense technology in-store and online, and has recently launched the iPad version of their 3D room designer. By allowing customers to use this technology over multiple channels, and empowering the store associate to assist in-store, the customer experience is amazing and mutually rewarding.

Not only does the customer get an amazing and (most of all) relevant experience, also the retailer benefits from this experience. By providing the experience over all channels, the customer is able to enter the sales cycle at any point, and continue to stay at the same supplier. These solutions embrace showrooming and webrooming, rather than fight it, by giving the customer the opportunity to do this on solutions provided by the retailer.

And certainly, more benefits can be described. The ROI is clear. As reported by Crate and Barrel in a recent Chicago Business article, their average order size increases 300% when using their 3D room designer, proving that this amazing and personalised experience pays off.

Technologies such as Loft by NedSense are changing the face of furniture retail, and will flourish in 2014. 3D software is able to create a ‘wow’ experience, and connect to the customer in a relevant way, anytime and anywhere. For 2014 and beyond, 3D software technology is the next step for furniture retailing to connect with the customer.

Arjen Jelsma is the marketing manager at the Holland-based Loft NedSense, which provides 3D software for the furniture retail and manufacturing market.

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