13th September 2017 - IKEA's New App Brings Digital Leaders' Vision to Life

IKEA has launched a new app that allows people to virtually place furniture in their home. IKEA Place is an augmented reality (AR) application that will let people confidently experience, experiment and share how good design transforms any space, such as a home, office, school or studio. From sofas and armchairs to coffee tables, all of the products in IKEA Place are 3D and true to scale so that every choice is just the right size, design and function. The app will be available in the Apple store starting in late-September, and users will need iOS 11 to enjoy this app.

“IKEA Place makes it easier to make buying decisions in your own place, to get inspired and try many different products, styles and colors in real-life settings with a swipe of your finger. Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster,” says Michael Valdsgaard, Leader Digital Transformation at Inter IKEA Systems.

Deborah Collier President and founder of The Certificate in Online Business commends this step forward in the retail industry. "IKEA have remained agile and responded to a new technology, that will give them the competitive edge. Customers can view a product online, or touch and feel in-store, then view how it will look in their own home." COB Certified E-Commerce Managers, as early as 2008, will recall learning about the possibilities for furniture e-commerce and multi-channel sales, if virtual reality and other technologies could allow customers to see the object in their living space. Deborah, who is an e-commerce and digital thought-leader says "One of the key success factors for IKEA is the accessibility of the app, which does not require VR devices or other specialist equipment".

Built on Apple’s new ARKit technology, IKEA Place marks an important milestone in the IKEA digital transformation journey. IKEA is one of the first home furnishing brands in the world to bring this technology to people, shifting the way people will purchase furniture in the future. The app automatically scales products – based on room dimensions – with 98% accuracy. The AR technology is so precise that users will be able to see the texture of the fabric, as well as how light and shadows are rendered on their furnishings.

In addition to digitally placing IKEA products in a room, the app allows people to capture the setting in the app and share as an image or video with friends. They can then purchase the products directly through their local IKEA website.

More than 2,000 IKEA products will be available in the app at launch, and in the future, the app will play a key role in the launch of new product lines. The products in the first release will focus on larger furniture products for the living room: all sofas, all armchairs, all footstools, all coffee tables and top-selling storage solutions that can be placed on the floor.

“Now, technology has caught up with our ambition. AR lets us redefine the experience for furniture retail once more, in our restless quest to create a better everyday life for everyone, everywhere,” says Michael Valdsgaard.

Editor Note:
Industry news is provided to keep our readers up to date of activities, trends and insights in the world of online business. Unless otherwise specified, the industry news published on our web site is not an endorsement by us of the brands, products or services, case studies or news described in the news item.

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