Virtual reality is already changing not only the games and entertainment market, but offline sales and the e-commerce market.

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Despite criticism, virtual reality technologies are actively developing. Here are some facts about the current state of affairs:

1. Almost all of the world’s largest IT giants are actively investing in the development of VR technologies: Google Cartboard, VR headset Sony Playstation, Gear from Samsung, HoloLens from Microsoft, LG 360 and others.
2. According to Greenlight VR’s report “On the Virtual Reality Industry” by the end of 2025, 135.6 million virtual reality glasses will be purchased worldwide, 122 million of which will be mobile. It is also noted that prices for VR devices will decline every year.
3. By the end of 2018, the price for 3D scanning and modeling has decreased by 2.5 times and has a steady trend towards decline. This gives you even more opportunities to transfer physical objects to the virtual world.

The development in the field of VR technologies, 3D scanning and the increasing availability of VR devices make it possible to use virtual reality not only in the field of games and entertainment, but also in industries that are not so actively innovated.

One of the first serious projects to use virtual reality in trade was a Singapore-based startup “Try this”.

Organized by the Russian development team in 2015, the project was honored at the Techcrunch Annual Crunchies Awards 2017 in the Hot New Startup nomination.

The product solves the problem of saving time when choosing clothes, shoes and accessories. Instead of spending hours shopping, choosing and trying on things from different collections, a guest of the shopping center in a special room can use a VR installation to pick up a new wardrobe and see how it will look in it in different situations: in a cafe, in in the office, in the gym, in the foyer of a concert hall, and even in the bedroom! Pay for the thing you like right away and either pick it up at the store, or order delivery.

Opening of the first room at Plaza Singapura

The first room was opened at the Plaza Singapura in 2016. It used 5 installations that allowed “trying on” clothes from 12 stores located in the mall. In the first month, more than 5,000 people used the product and placed an order. According to the project team, the total turnover was 350 thousand dollars.

Also, thanks to the joint advertising campaign, Plaza Singapura managed to achieve more than 3-fold increase in traffic in just 2 months.

Surprisingly, the project attracted the attention of not only men, who often do not like to go shopping and spend very little time choosing clothes, but also women.

In addition, the “Try this” team is also actively developing a product called “VR-dressing room” – this is a mobile application that requires a smartphone and any VR headset. The principle of operation is similar to “Try this”, however, in order to choose clothes with the ability to immediately try them on, you do not need to go anywhere. You just need to download the application, take a few selfies, choose the style of clothing and the desired item, and then try on the proposed options. You can pay for the item you like right away and choose the delivery method.

In a tweet, the project team announced that it is currently negotiating cooperation with companies such as Zara, H&M, Bershka, House and others.

In November, the “VR-dressing room” project raised $ 20 million from J’son & Partners Consulting venture capital fund.

Virtual reality is not just a new environment, it is a new type of technology that is already changing the phenomena we are used to and opening the way to previously unknown opportunities.