CHICAGO, Sept. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Due to COVID-19, consumers are being more careful when they shop online. With fewer opportunities to view products in person, and the growing logistical challenges posed by online returns, shoppers are relying on product visuals more than ever to inform their purchasing decisions. The retail apocalypse is here, and even businesses with a large online presence are not immune. Investing in technologies such as 3D and augmented reality (AR) is essential to retailers’ ability to survive the pandemic, according to The Harris Poll in a new survey conducted on behalf of Threekit, the product visualization platform.
The survey found that 60 percent of 1,869 U.S. adults who ever shop online are more likely to buy a product if it is shown in 3D or AR. Additionally, many online shoppers felt that it would help them make more confident decisions:
- 66 percent said that 3D/AR visuals would increase their confidence that they’re buying the right product.
- 66 percent said they would be more interested in shopping on a website if it offered 3D/AR images.
- 42 percent say they would pay more for a product if they could see it in 3D/AR.
Tech giants such as Apple, Shopify, and Google are already investing heavily in 3D and AR. Google recently announced the global availability of its Swirl 3D advertisement format, which allows companies to place advertisements with 3D assets. Threekit was selected as a trusted 3D production partner to help retailers conceptualize and produce a Swirl 3D advertisement.
“These findings prove that consumers want 3D/AR,” said Ben Houston, Threekit’s founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). “There is a growing gap between consumer demand and eCommerce technology preparedness. Although 3D and AR imagery has been around for a while, they’re underutilized by retailers due to its perceived complexity – especially in advertising.”
Threekit’s suite of 3D visualization and AR technology makes it easy for retailers to incorporate these images into their websites or advertising. Through the new partnership between Threekit and Google, businesses can now let consumers rotate, zoom, and expand 3D products within the Google advertisement, allowing them to engage with a product like it's right in front of them.
According to Google, the engagement rate of 3D ads is 3x higher compared to standard display or rich media ads and leads to higher lifts in brand equity data points like purchase intent (6.9x) and brand favorability (4.7x).
About Threekit
Threekit is a world leader in helping companies create and manage product visuals. It enables some of the top brands and retailers to provide amazing visual customer experiences with 3D, Virtual Photographer™️, and now with configurable augmented reality visuals. When buyers can see products represented realistically, they are more engaged, confident, and less likely to return products. The company was founded by Ben Houston, a 17-year Hollywood visual effects software innovator and a dedicated group of experienced computer graphics professionals.
In November 2019, the company raised $20 million in Series A funding from Shasta Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, former San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Steve Young, and Marketo co-founder Phil Fernandez. Earlier (in January 2019) it raised $10 million in seed investment, led by serial entrepreneur Godard Abel. Threekit is headquartered in Chicago with a technology innovation center in Ottawa.
For more information, please visit Threekit.com.
About the Survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Threekit from July 21-23, 2020 among 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, of whom 1,869 ever shop online (“online shoppers”). This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact jillian@propllr.com.
Media Contact
Jillian Smith
jillian@propllr.com
(330) 794-3008
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bbac664d-7783-4bf2-b4e8-4748eaf2ec50