Cost Plus World blends bricks and clicks with virtual holiday store
A value-price home furnishings retailer is enabling customers to buy and browse over 550 holiday products in a realistic online store setting.
Cost Plus World Market created its virtual holiday store with customer experience technology provider Rightpoint, a Genpact company, based on a Matterport 3D virtual tour platform. The digital store experience is meant to bring a real in-store layout to life, and also features a storytelling layer of content designed to inspire consumers to explore the virtual store, add products to their cart, and learn more about seasonal trends like creating the perfect gift or decorating a holiday-inspired mantel.
Sam’s Club is also offering an immersive virtual holiday shopping experience this year. The wholesale club retailer has created an online shopping experience that lets customers visit a customizable, virtual and shoppable reproduction of the Griswold home from the 1989 movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Cost Plus World developed the idea of the virtual holiday store based on customer listening and insights, which uncovered that its customers missed shopping just to browse and enjoy, rather than going out for a needed item. The virtual holiday store is meant to act as a way to fulfill customers’ desire to shop safely from the comfort of their own homes.
Customers will be able to access the virtual holiday store from the Cost Plus World Market homepage, with ability to shop, add items to the cart, and purchase items seamlessly.
“Shopping at Cost Plus World Market is unlike any other store – there is a sense of surprise and delight around every corner. We wanted to harness the power of our joyful holiday retail experience and bring these moments to life for our customers, from the comfort of their couches,” said Adrian Stevens, senior VP - chief marketing officer, head of e-commerce and digital strategy at Cost Plus World Market. “Rightpoint has been a valued partner to help us bring this to life – from strategy and vision to execution.”
“Our team was delighted to work with Cost Plus World Market’s teams to design an authentic and differentiated virtual holiday store in an effort to boost holiday sales while giving customers an experience that will excite them,” said Tom Quish, senior VP and head of design at Rightpoint. “The level of customization in combination with the ability to shop holiday categories and products while being inspired by seasonal collections, makes this an experience unlike any other.”