Virtual showrooms: the future of shopping?
Virtual showrooms are changing the way companies present their products. Instead of rigid online catalogs, they offer interactive, realistic experiences – available anytime and anywhere. Whether furniture, fashion or technical devices: customers can view the desired products from any angle, project them into their environment using augmented reality and even chat with consultants. But can digital showrooms really replace physical salesrooms?
Table of contents:
- What is a virtual showroom?
- Advantages of a digital showroom
- Which sectors are virtual showrooms suitable for?
- Implementing a virtual showroom: requirements & challenges
- Can digital showrooms replace physical showrooms?
- Outlook for the future: Digital showroom as a trend in retail?
What is a virtual showroom?
A digital showroom is a virtual space in which products are presented interactively. Customers can move freely through the exhibition, view items from different angles and call up additional information. Access is convenient via a web browser, mobile devices or VR glasses, so that the showroom can be used regardless of time and place.
Originally used in the automotive and fashion industries, virtual showrooms have now established themselves in many sectors. There are different variants:
- Purely virtual showroom: a completely digital environment that can be flexibly designed.
- Digital twin: An exact 1:1 replica of an existing showroom.
- Extended showroom: A hybrid solution that combines the digital twin with additional virtual elements to expand the product range or interactive features.
While interactive showrooms offer a flexible and innovative presentation format, physical showrooms continue to play an important role.
Advantages of a digital showroom
A virtual showroom enables companies to present products regardless of time and place. Customers can access the range around the clock and obtain information without spatial restrictions.
Advantages at a glance:
- Interactive presentation: 3D views and augmented reality show products realistically – whether furniture in the digital living room or outdoor equipment in a natural environment.
- Cost efficiency & sustainability: no rental and operating costs for physical sales areas, resource-saving presentation without costly appearances at trade fairs and events.
- Enhanced interaction: live chats, video consultations and multimedia content improve the customer experience.
- Measurability & optimization: Analysis of customer data for targeted improvement of the customer journey.
Virtual showrooms offer more than just static product presentations. By using interactive info points, avatars or gamification elements, customers are actively involved in the experience.
Which sectors are virtual showrooms suitable for?
Digital showrooms are a popular solution for digital product presentations and interactive customer experiences in various industries. The following business sectors in particular rely on the virtual product range:
- The retail and furniture sectors benefit from virtual shopping worlds in which customers can experience products in realistic environments. Pieces of furniture can be placed digitally in your own home, which makes purchasing decisions easier.
- The automotive industry uses virtual showrooms for digital test drives and vehicle configurations. Customers can view models in 3D, change colors and customize interiors.
- Fashion & luxury goods rely on 3D product presentations and digital fitting rooms to make shopping easier for customers. Virtual showrooms create exclusive shopping experiences.
- Industry & B2B sector benefit from virtual demonstrations for machines and technical solutions. Complex products can be explained clearly without having to be physically on site.
- In the healthcare and education sector, virtual training rooms enable interactive training and consultations – from medical simulations to digital classrooms.
Examples of companies with digital showrooms
Many companies are already successfully using virtual showrooms to present their goods virtually and optimize the customer journey.
The furniture manufacturer Thonet uses high-resolution 3D visualizations to present its design classics online in different living and working environments.
BoConcept combines digital showrooms with interactive experience points in its stores, allowing customers to gather initial impressions online and receive individual style advice in-store. Villeroy & Boch also offers an augmented reality app that allows customers to simulate bathroom furniture in their own home. Furniture manufacturer Sudbrock, on the other hand, enables a realistic presentation of its furniture with interactive information points and product views via a digital 360° showroom.
These practical examples show that virtual showrooms offer new opportunities for a convincing product presentation, both for pure online retail and as a supplement to stationary sales.
Implementing a virtual showroom: requirements & challenges
The implementation of a virtual showroom requires a well thought-out technical basis and a strategic approach. High-quality 3D models or 360° images of the showroom that create a realistic environment are a prerequisite for an appealing digital presentation. Augmented reality and virtual reality allow customers to experience products interactively and test them in their own rooms. Cloud-based solutions also ensure stable accessibility and guarantee smooth use on different end devices.
Despite these advantages, there are challenges that companies have to overcome. The lack of haptics and sensors makes it difficult to physically perceive materials, which plays a decisive role in some industries. Technological hurdles, such as the still limited distribution of VR glasses, also limit their use. In addition, the initial investment for realistic 3D environments is high.
Without a targeted online marketing and SEO strategy, the reach is often limited, which is why targeted advertising measures are necessary to attract potential customers to the showroom.
Can digital showrooms replace physical showrooms?
Virtual trade fairs were an initial response to the digital transformation, but they have significant disadvantages: Visitor flows run via external platforms and the content is only available for a limited time. Virtual showrooms, on the other hand, can be used over the long term and offer companies full control over their customer interaction.
Nevertheless, digital showrooms only serve as a supplement to physical showrooms. They are not a complete replacement. Hybrid concepts offer the ideal solution: customers can discover products online before testing them on site and receiving advice. Virtual showrooms also reduce the amount of space required in brick-and-mortar stores, as less physical stock is needed.
Showme Stores, for example, combines online and offline shopping by enabling online retailers to display products in attractive locations. Customers benefit from dedicated local advisors who offer personal advice and accompany the online purchase. This concept creates trust in products that would otherwise only be available digitally and sustainably improves the customer journey.
Outlook for the future: Digital showroom as a trend in retail?
The trend in retail in 2025 is clearly moving towards digital and interactive shopping experiences. Virtual showrooms will be further optimized so that customers can experience products even more realistically. State-of-the-art technologies will enable digital try-ons, interactive product presentations and integration into online retail.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing a growing role by providing personalized product recommendations based on user behavior.
- AI-supported advice and automatic product recommendations improve the shopping experience.
- Interactive chatbots enable direct customer communication around the clock.
Social media and virtual showrooms are increasingly being linked, for example through direct integration into platforms such as Instagram or TikTok. Companies that are already focusing on these developments will benefit from greater reach, stronger customer loyalty and a future-proof digital presence.
