Benefits of virtual shopping enable a customer to understand different ways of enhanced retail experiences that are available. Virtual shopping is a mode of retail experience that brings the offers of a physical store to a customer digitally. The customer will be able to view the offers of a retail enterprise through the comfort of their own home; it is an enhanced retail experience compared to online shopping as virtual shopping gives an enhanced experience in shopping. Virtual shopping can be applied to various industries and not just in fashion and lifestyle. The various benefits of virtual shopping are discussed below.

Convenience 

A major benefit of virtual shopping is the aspect of convenience. By accessing the offers of a retail enterprise, the customer will be able to view the products on their product catalogue and see if they are available in whatever requirement that they want it in. (https://fleshbot.com/) This can enable them to avoid visiting retailers and checking if they have a particular model of a product or not. Through virtual shopping customers can avoid the time and effort in travelling to a physical store when they can receive the same experience virtually.

Interactivity 

With the availability of sophisticated technological advancements such as virtual reality and fashion artificial intelligence, retailers are able to make their virtual shop more interactive. By incorporating various features such as provision of immediate assistance, chat features, live videos and others, retailers will be able to engage the customer in the shopping experience. By answering customer’s questions and suggesting them with product recommendations, the retail experience will be more engaging for the customer which will propel them to revisit the store or recommend it through word of mouth because of the rewarding retail experience.

Engagement 

Virtual shopping has the provision to engage the customer in giving their opinion about the product or retail experience. Through options of rating and providing instant feedback, retailers will be able to understand what they need to work on or how they can improve the shopping experience for the customer. Through various chat options, they will be able to video call the sales representatives and request a live viewing of the product. Various other engagement features such as live try-on features will enable them to wear the products virtually and see how they respond to particular products. Through virtual shopping, retailers will also be able to provide the customer with a curated experience and enable them to participate in its product development, lifestyle or display.

Enhanced customer experience 

Virtual shopping enables one to shop within the comfort of their own homes

With an increase in the competition among retailers, customer experience is what determines the revenue turnover of a retailer. People will return to shops that give them a good retail experience. This includes various aspects such as user friendly navigation and customer assistance and service. Through virtual shopping, retailers have the opportunity to provide the customers with various ways of engaging and amplifying the personal experience of a customer which they might not have necessarily received in a physical store.

The discussed benefits of virtual shopping offer a retail experience different from physical as well as online shopping. With the pandemic increasing our reliance on digital mediums for navigating everyday activities, virtual shopping seems a necessary provision that retailers need to provide in order to attract customers to visit their store and purchase their products. The benefits discussed above are specific to virtual shopping, giving them immense potential to improve the traditional nature of retail experience. JD Institute’s Diploma in Fashion and Lifestyle Entrepreneurship supports students to explore the new modes of retail experiences and enquire how the needs of the current climate and technological advancement are reflected in the way customers shop, what they look for in retail therapy and how it can be delivered through innovative ways.