Technology is something we are all exposed to on a daily basis and with today’s technological advances most things seem to rely on that to be successful and reach their goals. It would be no surprise if in the near future you would be able to visit a store virtually. Virtually, you might ask? Isn’t that the same thing as shopping online? Well the answer to this is no, unlike online shopping which allows you to browse and look at merchandise, the virtual shopping experience allows the consumer to not only try the outfit on virtually but also allows them to select the correct size their looking for instead of ending up with the wrong size. Many times now a days, it takes time and effort to go out to the store and make purchases, a virtual store would not only make this process easier but it would also make it efficient.
From a buyers perspective, I actually find the virtual store to be very interesting and I can see how it could provide consumer satisfaction. Many times consumers are angry when their purchases arrive and they aren’t the size they were expecting. If I were to come across a virtual store I feel that not only would I be excited to try something I haven’t tried before but also that excitement would make me want to tell the world using the most powerful type of advertising that there is out there, which is word of mouth. I would definitely tell all my friends to try the virtual shopping experience and based on my consumer satisfaction I would definitely give the business great reviews. Social Media is a very powerful tool that can determine whether a company will rise with great consumer satisfaction or fail because of bad reviews. By slowly transitioning into the big idea, the business could potentially set the standard high when the final idea gets introduced to the consumer market.
I have no doubt that this will be the future of shopping, ideas like these are already being implemented in foreign countries at grocery stores. However, if there was a need to gain a competitive edge on this market I would say that by making an interactive website you would engage the consumer more. By interactive I mean actually engaging the target audience by providing promotions, instagram challenges or perhaps submitting outfit ideas using the virtual store items for the upcoming season. By engaging the audience you create a sense of belonging and you let them know that they matter so that would definitely make the virtual store idea a success. Trying out something new might be considered risky but in order to succeed we have to step into the unknown and set the standards high in order to successfully reach our goals.