There’s online shopping, and then there’s “hyper real” shopping.
Just in time for our dressed-down summer, the OTB Group — a fashion retailer that owns brands like Diesel and Maison Margiela — is launching a digital showroom that mimics its physical stores.
Three months in quarantine have made it all too obvious that most online stores look the same — and with its Sims-like pivot, OTB wants to sprinkle on some spice.
Let’s say you’re entering Diesel’s new virtual showroom. You start in a leafy waiting room. A concierge guides you into the store.
Using your mouse, you can steer yourself in and out of the different rooms, organized by category — one for denim, one for footwear. See a hoodie you like? You can zoom in and check the listing.
Diesel’s new digs are a big innovation, but Diesel isn’t the only company stitching VR into its business plan: In recent weeks, virtual showrooms have hit the online fashion weeks for Stockholm and London.
Footwear News reported that startups like Joor, BrandLab, and Le New Black — all of which offer virtual showroom tech — have seen “significant increased growth” this year.
But if VR shopping gives you a headache, you can always dip your toe into live streams.
Beauty brands like Clinique are trying on a sales strategy that China perfected: Mail your new product to a famous person, ask them to stream themselves trying it on, and drop in the buy link.