eBay goes VR with Myer – new Virtual Reality shopping app

It’s the buzz-word (or words) of 2016, Virtual Reality, and eBay are in on the game working with Myer to create a Virtual Reality department store in an app.

A world first for eBay, built in Australia by the team at Red Cartel this is not some app the global hand-me-down, this is eBay Aussie through and through via a partnership with Myer.

Myer already sell a bunch of stuff via eBay – hey, if you want to succeed in retail you go where the people are – that’s why they’re at all the big shopping centres – so if you want to sell online, eBay has a huge audience.

This is an extension of that, but I will say from the outset, it feels like a very expensive way to create some buzz around your brands and be “first” at something.  Bloody good on them for doing that though, we’ll look back in many years and refer to them as first!

The app is not just a browse around and see what’s for sale, it’s a genuine shopping experience.

Once you’ve used it once (and played through the long opening scene, like the first time you play a new game), you’re surrounded by products and categories, all you need to do is look at them and hold your glare as the VR headset “clicks” for you – staring at a single area, button or item is the VR way to click.

Browse, see details, look around a product, zoom in, it’s all possible.

Then you add it to your basket.

Look down at your feet to view your basket – and checkout without any issues.

Again, first time you need to exit the VR experience and ensure you’ve logged in correctly on your device, but that’s to be expected.

While I get the concept, while I think it’s great – I just don’t quite see why you’d want to do this?

Seems a whole lot more complex than just using the already excellent eBay mobile app.  So many “steps” involved in finding a product and clicking to add it to your basket.  Seems against all the user-interface rules of design to me.

This is version 1 – over years this can and will evolve. eBay Australia’s Steven Brennen made the point that in the future you could be sitting on the lounge, browsing an international boutique store, with a family member in another country.  All possible with VR right?

I love the innovation, it’s a great concept, but I don’t see loads of people rushing out to VR purchase and browse when the online shopping system we have right now is hardly broken?