By Tom Martin
When helping customers choose new flooring in the showroom, even the most talented salesperson can struggle to spark the imagination.
Equipped with a few samples, the sales associate must convince the homeowner that this new French Oak — possibly their biggest purchase all year — is the perfect fit for the living room they’ve never seen. Not an easy task.
To add to the challenge, the showroom experience can be intimidating for shoppers, particularly for first-time buyers, and doubly for store-shy millennials. Millennials now make up the biggest portion of homebuyers in the U.S. (43%), but they prefer shopping from the couch. So how to bring these digital natives through the door — and spark their imagination?
Enter the Roomvo visualizer. Powered by augmented reality (AR), Roomvo shows customers what flooring will look like in their homes before they actually purchase. Flooring is a huge investment, and the visualizer helps customers make better informed purchase decisions.
A win for shoppers — and for retailers and manufacturers, with businesses seeing improved engagement and conversions and accelerated revenue growth. “When customers view products in the visualizer, they’re five times more likely to purchase,” said Josh Ruff, VP of revenue at Roomvo.
With 92% of shoppers researching products online while in-store, the demand for digital experiences in the showroom has never been higher. Here are three ways to transform the showroom experience with AR technology.
1. Equip sales staff with tablets — and the visualizer.
Staff should integrate the visualizer throughout the showroom sales process.
At the beginning of the purchase journey, Roomvo’s built-in search and filter functionality helps shoppers narrow down the product selection.
Shoppers and sales associates can collaborate using an image of the customer’s room, trying different styles in the visualizer while never leaving the store. No more delays to the decision making process, fewer costly samples, and less chance of losing customers to the competition.
After shoppers have settled on their choice, the visualizer helps move sales over the finish line. Seeing their new hardwood flooring visualized in their dining room builds trust in the customer, giving them the confidence they need to make faster purchase decisions.
“A customer wanted to redo the entire second level of their home but was overwhelmed with all the samples available,” said Cheryl Davidson, VP of operations at New York retailer Long Island Paneling. “We used Roomvo to help them preview different options, and it made them feel confident in selecting their new floors. It was critical in closing a $10,000 sale.”
To close more sales, staff can hone their visualizer skills with Roomvo’s complimentary training, as well as free educational resources and webinars featuring industry experts.
2. Offer self-service AR shopping with QR codes.
The appetite for self-service shopping is growing, with 71% of shoppers already using self-service, and 32% expecting intuitive self-service options to be essential within three to five years.
Self-service is particularly popular among millennials and Gen Z, with younger generations significantly more likely to pick a self-serve option than Gen X and Boomers.
To provide a self-serve AR option for customers, flooring retailers can place Roomvo QR Codes on product samples and displays that instantly link to the visualizer. Shoppers simply scan the QR code with their cell phone’s camera, and they are immediately taken to the visualizer on the retailer’s website to see that product in their home.
QR codes offer customers an engaging, immersive, self-guided shopping experience, with the freedom to shop at their own pace. And for flooring retailers, better engagement means improved conversions and quicker sales.
3. Take AR to the big screen with interactive kiosks.
Another way to boost engagement? Interactive kiosks.
With retailers committed to delivering more immersive shopping experiences, demand for interactive kiosks is rising. The interactive kiosk market is projected to be worth almost $50 billion by 2031, with floor-standing kiosks earning the highest revenue potential due to their versatility.
Interactive kiosks offer the best of both worlds for consumers, making it easy to search with a sales associate or browse products on their own by searching and filtering. Plus, shoppers can access the retailer’s entire product selection, even if retailers have online-only inventory.
In spring 2023, Roomvo will launch Roomvo Kiosk, a floor-standing interactive kiosk with a 43-inch wide-angle touchscreen that makes collaboration between shoppers and sales representatives even easier.
The kiosk pairs perfectly with Roomvo QR Codes. Shoppers simply scan the QR codes around the showroom to create a curated list of the products they love. Once back at the kiosk, customers can upload a photo of their room to see the products from their curated list in their home. If they’re not ready to make a purchase on the spot, shoppers can share the images they created with themselves or a loved one to continue the experience at home.
Create a memorable showroom experience with AR technology.
For flooring retailers struggling to find that spark inside the showroom, AR technology helps deliver more exciting, more productive customer experiences.
Whether retailers equip their team with tablets, offer self-service shopping with QR Codes, install interactive kiosks, or do a mix of all three, the Roomvo visualizer inspires confidence in consumer decision making, leading to better sales and increased customer loyalty.
Click here to connect with the Roomvo team and start your digital showroom transformation.
This article was provided by Roomvo.