Australian department store Myer and online auction site eBay have launched a brand new virtual online department store which uses Google Cardboard headsets and a special app to help you shop.
There’s two components to the eBay and Myer launch, with a VR experience being hosted at the Harbourside Room in Sydney for local residents. The other is a remote Virtual shopping experience which lets you view 12,500 Myer products in a virtual environment from literally anywhere – well, as long as you have an internet connection.
The experience is powered by eBay’s existing API and the Myer online eBay store and a new system called eBay Sight Search, which lets customers browse, select and add their desired items to an online cart.
Jooman Park, Managing Director eBay Australia and New Zealand said:
Until now we have not had the opportunity to physically experience the transformative effect VR could have on retail. By building the world’s first VR Department Store here in Australia and observing the reactions of thousands of consumers who trial the experience, we have the opportunity to lead the world into the next phase of retailing.
eBay and Myer have 20,000 cardboard headset, known as a ‘Shopticals’ to be being given away – at a rate of 1,000 per day through their website at vr.ebay.com.au. The headset is a fairly straightforward Cardboard viewer with eBay and Myer branding. Fold out and assemble the Cardboard headset, download the app to your Android (or iOS) device and slip it into the viewer.
Want to see how it works? Check it out.
You can check out the app on Google Play right here. If you’re a Sydney resident and want to check it out you can book your appointment through Eventbrite right here.
Egad, ebay and myer forgot to calibrate their app. So there’s no QR code. I’m just getting a headache from all the double vision!!!