London retailers set up 3-D virtual shops

London retailers set up 3-D virtual shops
Tags: Customer Experience, Multichannel Retailing, Online Retailing, Technology
December 28, 2008

The Times (London): An ambitious new scheme to duplicate online the real-life experience of a shopping expedition in central London is promising to transform the way Britain's leading retailers do business. A body representing West End traders is creating a unique Internet world where shoppers will be able to wander down computer simulations of London streets, click their way into exact replicas of well-known stores, and thumb through goods stacked on virtual shelves.

The model will allow mouse-wielding users of Near London software to click their way down mostly traffic-free streets, and to enter any shop they choose. There will be no beggars, pickpockets or graffiti soiling the pristine online landscape.

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