The New Customer Experience: Immersive Shopping for Online Retailers
Tangiblee
Tangiblee
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January 24, 2024
If you haven't taken the plunge into immersive shopping yet, 2024 is your year to dive in: 61% of US-based retailers have developed a virtual store, with a remarkable 91% of them subsequently seeing a moderate or significant boost in sales. Looking ahead, 55% of brands are gearing up to invest further in immersive experiences over the next three years.
Curious about what immersive shopping entails? At its core, immersive shopping leverages emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to elevate the online shopping experience. Imagine adding a touch of reality to your virtual store, allowing customers to interact with products in a virtual space—that's immersive shopping in action. It’s a personalized touch paired with a way for customers to visualize how they’d use products in their everyday life.
Delving Deeper into Immersive Shopping
In the US, retailers are prioritizing four key areas: virtual stores, AI-driven personalization, gamification, and social shopping. While global adoption has been a bit slower, the tide is turning: A 2022 global study found that although fewer than ten percent of companies in consumer goods and retail are currently using immersive technologies, 25% are actively piloting immersive shopping initiatives.
The numbers speak for themselves—the immersive retail technology market is projected to skyrocket from $7.37 billion in 2023 to $42.5 billion by 2032. Consumer preferences are steering the immersive shopping ship: value-conscious shoppers seek deals and assurance of value, while luxury buyers crave a premium blend of virtual and physical retail. And, increasingly, consumers expect AR and VR to be integral parts of their online shopping experience.
Immersive shopping is an opportunity to add an additional layer of customer confidence, satisfaction, and engagement—and simultaneously improve revenue KPIs while cutting down on return rates.
Ready to go beyond traditional online retail with Tangiblee?
We understand the challenges of online shopping and we're here to help. Our sophisticated customer-facing AR and 3D visualization tools take guesswork out of the equation—by extracting data from your catalog, our software generates product images and 3D visualizations on the fly. Plus, our software seamlessly integrates into your backend without affecting site performance for a true plug-and-play solution.
We've expanded beyond accessories, apparel, and home decor to cover sectors like department stores, fitness equipment, and pet supplies—we’re committed to tailoring our solutions to the unique needs of each client.
The future of retail is immersive, and we’re bringing the future to you: schedule a free demoto see how Tangiblee can answer your product visualization needs for retail.
If you sell bags online — handbags, backpacks, totes, or even luggage — you’ve likely experienced the same issue:
Shoppers love how the bag looks but return it because it didn’t fit what they expected or the photos of your catalog are flawless: the 360° spin looks excellent. The dimensions are listed. They hit “buy.” And then, the return hits your inbox.
“Didn’t fit my laptop.”
“Smaller than I thought.”
“Not what I expected; looked bigger/smaller.”
Sound familiar? It’s one of the top reasons for returns in the bag category.
You can prevent non-intentional returns when your customer wants a bag that is just not the bag they expected to receive.
Tangiblee has a feature answer to this question.
What Fits Inside (WFI) by Tangiblee works to create the full contextual answer for the customer question while buying bags online.
You can offer beautiful 360° spins if you have 3D models for all your catalog, add detailed measurements to the description. But none of those answer the shopper’s fundamental question:
“Will this fit my laptop, charger, water bottle, and everything I carry daily?”
The result? Confused customers. Unexpected returns. Lost revenue.
Many brands try to solve this by shooting lifestyle images of bags filled with daily-use items. While helpful, this approach has serious drawbacks:
You’ll need a new photoshoot for every new bag
It’s costly and time-consuming—especially with catalogs of 1,000+ SKUs
Seasonal collections and new sizes require repeating the entire process
It’s not scalable. And that’s where Tangiblee’s solution changes everything.
Tangiblee’s WFI and WFI Premium are powerful e-commerce tools that visually show shoppers what fits inside a bag without costly photography.
Instead of relying on static, manually shot images, WFI leverages interactive visual content that accurately represents the items inside your bags. All based on your website imagery.
What is WFI?
WFI (What Fits Inside) brings the in-store experience online. It helps shoppers understand the actual capacity of your products using interactive visuals with real-world items.
Key Benefits:
✅ Works across all bag types: handbags, suitcases, backpacks, totes, etc.
✅ No photography required for daily items
✅ Accurate volume & capacity metrics
✅ Integrates easily as a pop-up or embedded module. Don't make consumers search for an answer—let them look and buy without hesitation.
Results:
+17.21% lift in Add-to-Cart rate
+63.42% boost in engagement
What is WFI Premium?
WFI Premium is a separate, enhanced version that adds rich functionality to increase conversions and upsells.
Premium Features:
Purchasable items inside the bag — then you can add them directly to the cart
Use curated sets (e.g., “Work Essentials”) or create your own
Magic Fill button for one-click packing suggestions
Fully customizable UI to match your brand
Business Impact:
+11.07% increase in Add-to-Cart rate
Helps shoppers “pack” the bag virtually and buy with confidence
Enables cross-selling of accessories and companion products
Why It Matters for Large Catalogs
With Tangiblee's WFI, you eliminate the need to:
Shoot dozens of items inside every bag
Stage new sets for each collection
Continuously reshoot for new sizes or shapes
Make your customer search for the additional product describtion
Instead, one scalable experience works across your entire product catalog, no matter how often your lineup changes.
What Fits Inside is Perfect for:
Fashion & handbag retailers
Travel and luggage brands
Backpack and school gear sellers
Any e-commerce store with high return rates due to size issues
Give Your Shoppers the One Thing They Want
Most shoppers don’t return their bags for no reason.
They returned them because they didn’t fit what they needed.
Tangiblee's WFI and WFI Premium answer that question — at scale, without costly photo shoots, and with measurable results.
Let's be honest: Your website is more than a catalog in the lively world of online jewelry sales. It's your virtual store. And to truly shine, you need more than just images of your jewelry items.
That's where Tangiblee's "Build Your Look" comes in, transforming your site into an interactive, sales-driving experience backed by the concrete results it provides and a quick implementation process.
No 3D Models from you
No charges per SKU served
Compatible with any platforms your website is built in
Not only your best sellers - Tangiblee covers all the catalog
It is not just the feature - it is the solution proven to stand out and resolve, most importantly, questions of your jewelry customers and help your store sell more.
How it Works
Tangiblee's Build Your Look solution can be opened via a call to action (button) on your PDP; it can be a standalone page on your website or an embedded solution directly into your PDP along with the rest of the images of your jewelry item.
See how some of our clients enabled Look Builder by Tangiblee below:
Starting the discovery with Sethi Couture, the brand is renowned for its signature stackable rings, known as "Sethi Stacks," which allow wearers to create personalized combinations of rings. Sethi Couture used a CTA to open their Build Your Stack solution.
Dana Rebecca Designs has a separate page showing the possibility of stacking and then letting the customers try on the rings virtually.
Customers drag earrings onto a model's ear, guided by easy-to-see hotspots. We simplify it with pop-up help, like "Tap & Drag" and "Tap to Remove." They can undo or redo their choices, experimenting without fear.
Filters help them find exactly what they want, while we also present them with tailored suggestions and pre-made looks.
A live cart shows their stack and price as they build, so it is super easy to purchase everything at once.
To complete the shopping, the "Try It On" functionality lets them see the look on themselves using their phone. Yes! They can try on the selected items directly from that screen because this is a part of Tangiblee's experience - no limitation on content - only the maximum value of the displayed catalog.
With Look Builder by Tangiblee, jewelry retailers can make a personal style guide for their customers. The Inspiration Gallery shows the best combinations to promote to customers.
Helzberg, a well-known national jewelry retailer with a long-standing reputation for offering elegance and a wide range of jewelry styles, has a separate page, "Curate Your Earring Stacks" and an “Inspiration Gallery” to help the customers make their choices.
Charm Builder, which is another available model, shows different options if you are focused on some specific categories.
Helping shoppers become their stylists by giving them access to the perfect looks and advice is easy and fun. They can compare and stack various jewelry and watch categories, virtually try on their selections, and receive curated options.
Why Look Builder and Virtual Try On are essential for everyone selling Jewelry online
1. Bring Jewelry to Life: Beyond Static Images
The Challenge: Flat photos often fail to capture your pieces' shine and scale. Customers crave a real-world feel.
The Look Builder Edge: Tangiblee allows customers to virtually "try on" jewelry. They can stack and arrange items on models or their photos. This immersive visualization builds confidence and reduces returns.
2. Boost Your Bottom Line (and Your Metrics!)
The Opportunity: Selling individual pieces is good, but selling coordinated looks is even better.
The Look Builder Advantage: Tangiblee helps customers create beautiful stacks. This drives multi-item purchases and boosts sales in other categories.
We can add watch items from your catalog and let customers stack them. This also increases your average order value (AOV). Curated looks and inspiration galleries guide them towards complete ensembles.
The Proof: Users who engaged with the Look Builder showed, on average:
3. Anchorless Virtual Try-On Experience - Record Once - Try on All the Catalog
Tangiblee gives your customers the convenience of trying on every item in your catalog in a one-shot or recording.
4. Engage and Delight: An Interactive Shopping Experience keeping the customer within your ecosystem
The Need: Static product pages can be, well, static. You need to capture and hold attention.
The Look Builder Solution has easy drag-and-drop features. It includes customizable filters and a virtual jewelry try-on option.
This lets customers share their experiences with others for advice. This creates a fun and personalized shopping experience. This approach turns customers into active participants in their shopping journey.
5. Uncover Hidden Gems: Enhance Product Discovery
Thepotential lies in traditional listings overlooking some of your most beautiful pieces.
The Look Builder Spotlight: Tangiblee showcases complementary items and encourages exploration, revealing hidden treasures and expanding customer awareness of your collection.
6. Use it In Physical Stores
The Potential: Some of your items can be out of stock in this physical store. Storing has some limitations.
The Look Builder Spotlight: Digital storage allows all the items to be in stock. Provide your team with some training and let them give your in-store customers a try on any item from your catalog anywhere.
6. Tell Visual Stories: Elevate Your Brand Narrative
The Power: Online jewelry retail needs to replicate the captivating visual merchandising of physical stores.
The Look Builder Canvas: Tangiblee helps you create engaging product stories. It shows how items work together and inspires customers to express their style.
7. Data-Driven Decisions: Optimize Your Strategy
Tangiblee tracks user interactions, providing valuable data on popular combinations, filter usage, and conversion rates, empowering you to refine your strategy. We have our own Tangiblee Managed Portal. It shows all the data to our customers. This data shows how users interacted with your catalog covered by Tangiblee.
In the dynamic realm of online jewelry and watch sales, allowing customers to visualize and personalize their selections is essential. Augmented reality is not just a luxury. Tangiblee's Build Your Look solution simplifies this process, making it engaging and effective.
Empower your shoppers, increase sales, and fully utilize your catalog with Tangiblee.