Selling highly configurable or complex products in online markets has been difficult as they often require intensive consultation time which currently takes place in a physical store. The consultation process has various facets that could possibly benefit from digital solutions. As a first step in our research process, we conducted an ethnographic observation in a furniture store to analyze current sales and consultation processes. Based on our findings, we derive several requirements which can guide the design of IT solutions to digitalize those processes. Additionally, we propose an augmented reality system offering various benefits to both consultants in stores as well as customers at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Striving for competitiveness, retailers constantly look for new opportunities and optimal strategies to keep customers interested in their wares. With the implementation of digital technology, eCommerce had a large impact on many industry branches in recent years. While some businesses solely arose because of a growing digital market, most retailers at least turned part of their businesses online, especially those looking to compete with mass scale online retailers using fully digitalized sales processes. However, industry branches that rely on or require one or more extensive sales consultation sessions, e.g. cars, real estate and furniture sales, have mostly kept their businesses offline due to the number of problems in digitalizing their complex consultation processes. In these areas, digitalization might still prove to offer an unseen opportunity in shortening consultation time and improving general consultation quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this work, we focus on furniture sales. Nowadays, in-house furniture \u00a0consultations face several problems: While customers can browse websites to \u00a0generate ideas, they still visit the furniture store for more expensive and complex \u00a0goods to receive a proper consultation. Guided by a consultant, they want to inspect \u00a0and evaluate their possibilities in order to find a fitting configuration for their needs. Therefore, a consultant needs to know what the customers\u2019 needs and wishes are to enable an optimal consultation. Customers on the other hand need to articulate these \u00a0to a consultant in a precise manner. Schwabe et al. [1] describe this kind of advice \u00a0giving as joint problem solving requiring an extensive knowledge exchange. \u00a0Additionally, after closing in on a fitting configuration, a customer still needs to \u00a0imagine the result. Unless the furniture store has the desired model in the selected \u00a0configuration on display, parts of different exhibits need to be mentally merged by the \u00a0customer to produce a complete picture. The customers cannot view or feel the \u00a0furniture until it has been bought, built and shipped. This can dramatically increase \u00a0customer\u2019s uncertainty before purchasing and may lead to longer consultation times or no sales at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of a joint project aimed at researching the possible improvements by digital \u00a0sales processes in furniture retail, we worked together with a retailer specializing in \u00a0highly customizable upholstery which usually needs intensive consultation times. The \u00a0project aims to create a digital platform in which products which traditionally require \u00a0in-store consultation can be offered together with remote, online consultations. With \u00a0promising research about recommendation agents [2], remote consultations and the ability to see and interact with virtual objects in augmented reality (AR), we want to \u00a0investigate possible digitalization solutions. In order to be able to create technical \u00a0solutions helping consultants and customers alike, we need to better understand \u00a0current practices and processes in the furniture sales industry. Therefore, we apply a \u00a0design-based approach in order to guide our development. As a first step, we \u00a0conducted an ethnographic study observing and interviewing furniture consultants to \u00a0learn about the domain. Based on our findings, we derive requirements for digital \u00a0solutions and, finally, provide a possible first, AR-based solution to these \u00a0requirements. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our proposed AR-based solution, customers use AR to receive advice from a consultant while simultaneously streaming their own living room to the consultant. The consultant then could, based on the video, place and (re-)configure virtual furniture for the customer. AR could also help customers articulate their wishes and ideas by highlighting certain parts or providing necessary vocabulary and explanations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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