If customers look at arrows on the VR screen for a certain time, the screen will take them to desired stores. In the same manner, if they look at a product, product information will be provided. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 28 (Korea Bizwire) – Hyundai Department Store, one of the major department stores in South Korea, announced on July 28 that it will launch a virtual reality (VR) online store on its upscale online shopping mall – the Hyundai.com (www.thehyundai.com).
The Hyundai’s new online VR store provides customers with the feeling of physically being present at the actual department store. Existing online shopping malls only provide pictures and descriptions of products.
When customers access the online website and connect a VR device, they will be able to see actual stores in 3D with 360-degree virtual tours.
If customers look at arrows on the VR screen for a certain time, the screen will take them to desired stores. In the same manner, if they look at a product, product information will be provided.
Customers who do not possess VR viewing devices can still access the VR store on a mobile device or a computer to enjoy a similar virtual shopping experience.
“It’s a new kind of O2O (online-to-offline) commerce service that we launched. We will be updating the store on a monthly basis to offer a more accurate and true-to-reality experience for our customers,” said an official from Hyundai Department Store.
The Nike and Adidas stores at Hyundai Department Store’s Pangyo branch will be the first to adopt the ‘VR Store’ system.
Hyundai also plans on launching a ‘VR Product’ system next year in which 360-degree product views will be available.
In 2018, an advanced virtual shopping system that recommends related products will be introduced, and a ‘VR Department Store’ will be introduced in the following year, where a whole department store will be available online for virtual shopping.
By Nonnie Kim (nkim@koreabizwire.com)
