IT
REALITY CALLING In an increasingly competitive for merchants,
could virtual reality technology offer a way of standing out?
I
t may not seem that long ago that kitchen and bathroom plans were, quite literally, drawn up using a pencil and graph paper, but the design process has come a long way in a relatively short space of time. Nowadays you’d be hard pushed to find a designer that doesn’t rely on some form of CAD software, as an accurate and efficient method of planning. This means, of course, that merchants need to up their game in terms of the technology they employ, if they are to use it as any form of USP to attract customers.
One option that offers many advantages for merchants is 4D technology. Transporting customers into a virtual world where they can feel like they are actually stepping into their new kitchen or bathroom is certainly a step up from leaving them to wander around a few
displays looking for inspiration but with no clear idea of what will actually work in reality. Nathan Maclean, managing director of Virtual Worlds, says that 4D technology has been around for a while in gaming, but is an innovation that is relatively new to the itchen, bedroom and bathroom industry and one that merchants would do well to embrace. “Besides drawing customers in, such technology holds many practical advantages too. Not least of these concerns the issue of space; a virtual reality set-up requires roughly the same space within a showroom as a standard display, yet holds a plethora of design options for customers to choose from” he says. “Time too, is another precious commodity for merchant and customer alike, and it can
be saved with design preferences quickly identified and different products integrated speeding up the process.”
Above all, 4D is different and this is what helps to attract customers. Installers and end users are drawn to showrooms to ‘have a go’ and are then drawn in by what such technology can offer them in terms of the overall design experience.
“Our latest design software from Virtual Worlds, 4D Theatre, for example, brings a level of spatial awareness and immersion that has never been seen in the kbb industry, offering merchants a USP all of its own” he continues. “This is software that ditches the controller and allows customers to walk around the space freely via a specially-designed headset.”
Fully integrated ERP software specifically designed for Stockists, Distributors, Wholesalers, Merchants & Manufacturers
ERP Software designed to help Builders
Merchant Improve their business efficiency “Easy to use”
“The traceability through quotes/ sales/credits to see who did what and when, speeds up so many processes and removes any guesswork”
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For further information or to book a demonstration, contact us:
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2018 w.
www.merlinbusinesssoftware.com
e:
info@merlinbusinesssoftware.com t: 01246 457150
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