City gets virtual IKEA
AN IKEA store has opened in Townsville, but it has no walls, floor or roof.
The Swedish furniture giant has launched a virtual store, the first of its kind for a large- format retailer in Australia.
The virtual store provides a unique digital experience that allows customers to “walk” the Ikea store and browse products.
The virtual store can be explored with or without virtual reality goggles through a computer and customers in North Queensland can purchase products.
IKEA Australia multichannel specialist Malcolm Haylett said the store would bring online shopping to life in a new, interactive way.
“Ikea has recently made a move towards online retailing, but we want to offer the full Ikea store experience to our online shoppers,” Mr Haylett said.
“Through the innovative tool you can stand in a roomset and visualise it as if you were there in person, and you can, for example, see our full range of sofas or beds at a glance.
“In the IKEA Virtual Reality Store you self- navigate the experience as if you walking an IKEA store.”
The virtual store follows the successful launch of online shopping and a collection point coming to Townsville earlier this year.
Townsville is one of four locations in Queensland able to buy products through the virtual store.
Mr Haylett said they identified that customers liked to see and experience their home furnishing range.
“The IKEA Virtual Reality Store is simply a different and more immersive tool that allows you to do that,” he said.
“Online shopping at IKEA is all about giving more accessibility to customers who want to shop with us wherever, whenever.”