Walmart Now Using Virtual Reality To Help Customers Decide How To Furnish Their Apartments Lucyd Follow Jul 2, 2018 · 2 min read

Traditional companies have seen the light: technology is taking over the world.

Goldman Sachs, for example, recently stated that over 20% of their workforce is made up of computer programmers and engineers. Thirty years ago, that figure might have been 1%.

And as advances in virtual reality technology become more pronounced, it’s likely that we’ll see similar moves in other traditional companies as well. This change is nowhere more likely to occur than in the world of online shopping.

Case in point, Walmart recently announced the launch of a new 3D Virutal Shopping Tour. Shoppers are given the opportunity to browse a 3D living space, complete with all the furniture and home appliances that they might want to purchase. This way, users can see how a given item may look in an apartment that is of similar size to their own.

And while this concept isn’t exactly groundbreaking in the world of mixed reality, the fact that a major company like Walmart is getting involved is.

These aren’t the only moves Walmart has been making in the tech space, either. Earlier in the year they announced the addition of a high-end fashion category to their website, dubbed “Premium Brands,” specifically for customers looking for something a bit fancier than $6 T-shirts.

As for the virtual reality components of Walmart’s latest tech developments, they’re also introducing a new feature called “Buy The Room,” which is exactly what it sounds like. Users will be able to purchase the entire inventory of a room viewed in virtual reality. Real estate developers, property managers, and busy people with cramped schedules will likely find this feature quite helpful.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this news for fans of virtual reality is that Walmart’s involvement will likely lead to further developments in the virtual reality space. As other retail giants create their own VR shopping experiences to compete with Walmart’s, we’re likely to see an ecosystem of competition arising.

At least one startup has created a virtual mirror that allows users to “try on” clothes before buying them — hopefully reducing the cost of returns.

What do you think about Walmart’s foray into the world of virtual reality? Let us know in a comment!