DFS’ augmented reality tech partnership with Vertebrae

3D and augmented reality (AR) solutions provider, Vertebrae  has worked with DFS in launching a major web-based AR implementation, which is already seeing major return-on-investment (RoI) for the UK furniture retailer. Using technology supplied by Vertebrae, DFS is offering customers 3D and AR-enabled visualisations for more than 10,000 of its sofas. This allows shoppers to virtually experience the items in their home to trail the look and feel with no application download required. Since launching in January, the partnership is said to have delivered significant results for DFS, including a 112% conversion lift and 106% increase in Revenue Per Visit (RPV) for shoppers who have interacted with 3D and AR.

“We knew that 3D and AR would deliver an innovative shopping experience that went far beyond video or still images. Now digital shoppers can bring a virtual sofa into their home or office, and even walk around it, to see if it fits their space and matches the existing style of the room. The results so far have been outstanding, and we are successfully growing online sales through our partnership with Vertebrae,”  said James Vernon, Head of Online at DFS.

Vertebrae Solution
 Vertebrae’s Axis platform is the enabling technology, delivering DFS’ customers Web-based AR and 3D experiences. Today, shoppers visiting the DFS site can view handmade sofas in detail through a 3D button that allows the shopper to view the sofa from every angle, zooming in and out to access product details. From there, the shopper can tap “View in Your Space” to display the sofa virtually within the context of their own home or office.

AR is proving an essential tool in helping shoppers assess product dimensions. It  displays the sofa at precise size and scale within the real-life environment for an accurate estimate of proportions relative to the rest of the room. The AR experience is available through a direct product page link so that shoppers can quickly determine whether products are the right fit – both in terms of dimensions and style – all without needing to detour away from the shopping environment to download a separate application.

“DFS’s immersive commerce implementation is the largest in the world, with more than 10,000 AR and 3D-enabled products available to view, zoom, spin and visualise in the customer’s home,” said Vince Cacace, CEO of Vertebrae. “Vetebrae’s Axis platform gives DFS a highly scalable and unified toolset for managing, testing, deploying, and measuring Web-based 3D and AR assets, all while ensuring they are compatible with multiple browsers and device types. The result is that DFS shoppers are spending more, and online conversion rates as well as revenue per visit have all increased, despite challenging conditions since launch in January.”

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