Classic mail order companies are facing increasing competition from digital retailers. Both industry giants, such as Amazon, and start-ups with excellent market access are expanding into the competitive field of renowned mail order companies.
The classic catalogue in particular – still often the primary medium in mail order – is seen as being unfashionable when competing for younger consumers. Therefore, expanding into new distribution channels is a desirable way to modernise. This is also the case with our customer K-Mail Order.
Together we looked for an innovative solution to meet and inspire the customer in completely new ways. The concept: The VR Showroom.
Customer
K – Mail Order
Customer with
Meyle+Müller for over 50 years
Customer requirements
- Creating new customer experiences and increase sales
- Addressing new target groups
- Creating the image of a modern “digital” brand
- Opening up new distribution channels
- Gaining experience with new marketing tools
Statistics
1
vision
480
test users
74%
approval rate
The Solution
In a pitch on-site at K-Mail Order, the idea was born to use a VR showroom as a sales promotion tool. As a long-standing partner of Klingel, we were invited to implement the technical solution as described below.
Conceived as a cardboard application, the customer’s smartphone is transformed into a pair of VR glasses. Using an apollon-developed app specifically for this product, the customer can enter a virtual showroom filled with products from K-Mail Order. From sofas to home accessories, the digital room offers an impressive insight into the KLiNGEL World of Living.
The app simulates the individual features of the products, for example transforming a sofa into a bed. The user can also switch between different colour versions of the same product. Moreover, the customer can clearly see the pricing. Products can be transferred directly to a shopping cart in the form of a wish list, resulting more direct purchasing decisions in favour of the selected products.
The VR showroom was made available to a customer text group of 480 users and found very well received with an approval rating of 74%. The feedback ranged from a simple “WOW!” to the statement “I’m speechless, I simply don’t know what to say.”
For many customers, virtual reality is still a new kind of experience which contributes strongly to the innovative brand image of the company delivering it. Especially with regards to future, it is a ground-breaking tool for picking up younger groups of buyers and creating a really unique selling proposition.
We are proud to be a part of this landmark project!
