Joybird Uses 3D Scans as Homeware Brands Tap Immersive Tech

As homeware brands tap mixed-reality digital capabilities to build trust in their eCommerce platforms, Joybird is using 3D room scanning to build consumer confidence in its products.

The La-Z-Boy-owned direct-to-consumer company announced Thursday (Feb. 22) the launch of digital design tools from product visualization platform 3D Cloud by Marxent, enabling consumers to scan their rooms and create custom floorplans to see how products would look in the space.

Through the technology, consumers scan the space with their iPhone or iPad, and the app measures the room, such that consumers can preview different configurations.

“Joybird understands that our customers carefully and meticulously design their personal space, which is why we’re rolling out new digital design tools to make choosing the perfect furniture and accessories with confidence easier,” Joybird Vice President Gerardo Ornelas said in a statement. “The 3D Cloud Room Scanner… offers peace of mind and assurance in buying decisions because they know their measurements are correct.”

The move comes as furniture brands struggle to drive digital penetration, with consumers continuing to place their trust in on-site experiences, given how high-touch, high-consideration these purchases can be. The PYMNTS Intelligence study “Tracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Catching the Coming eCommerce Wave” found that 53% of consumers continue to “strongly or somewhat” prefer to purchase home furnishing products in stores, while only 25% prefer online.

As such, homeware brands are increasingly using augmented reality, virtual reality, and other technologies that combine digital imaging with real-world environments to build customer trust in their products.

Take, for instance, Wayfair, one of the largest homeware retailers in Europe, which introduced its generative artificial intelligence pilot app for the Apple Vision Pro headset, Decorify, enabling consumers to digitally redesign their living spaces and explore these reconfigured environments.

Also alongside the launch of the headset, home improvement chain Lowe’s debuted its Lowe’s Style Studio, a VR tool that enables consumers to design their dream kitchen with preset options, customizable materials, and a range of fixtures and appliances, employing a user interface driven by eye and hand gestures.

Consumers, for their part, are open to these kinds of experiences. PYMNTS Intelligence’s “How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers” found that 95% of consumers own or have in their homes at least one connected device. Of these connected device owners, 38% said they are very or extremely interested in using virtual technology to see how items look in their room before buying them, and 6% already do this. Additionally, 1 in 3 said they’d be similarly interested in the ability to use VR technology to buy retail products that are in a physical store from their home or office, and 4% already do this.

Joybird’s new use of 3D scanning technology fits into the broader push in the industry toward immersive digital capabilities to boost trust and confidence. As brands navigate the evolving landscape of eCommerce, AR and VR are tools resonating with consumers’ desire for immersive, high-touch experiences.

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