Lotte Hi-Mart Online Mall Introduces 'AR Service' Implemented with 3D Images

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Lotte Hi-Mart announced on the 24th that it will introduce the ‘AR Virtual Placement Experience Service’ on the 25th, allowing customers to preview and purchase home appliances by virtually placing them using a smartphone.

The AR (Augmented Reality) service is a service that combines virtual images of home appliances with real backgrounds, enabling users to experience how the appliances would look when placed. The virtual images are created in 3D based on the actual dimensions of the appliances and can be viewed with a 360-degree rotation. Users can easily place, move, and enlarge the products by touching the screen. To commemorate the introduction of the AR service, Lotte Hi-Mart will hold a customer participation event until October 31.

The usage method is simple. In the mobile app, select the ‘AR Experience’ menu, which is specially prepared, and then choose the AR-supported products. The virtual 3D images of the home appliances can be viewed by rotating them 360 degrees. Depending on the product, customers can also select their preferred color. By pressing the ‘Try AR Placement’ function, the smartphone camera is activated to show the real background. Users can rotate and move the virtual images to place them in desired spaces such as the living room or bedroom. Touching the virtual image displays the actual size of the product. The ‘Length Measurement’ function allows users to measure the size of the space where the product is placed using a virtual tape measure.

There is also the joy of sharing the previewed placement. When capturing the virtual image placement screen, a ‘Share’ function appears, allowing users to post their living space images on the ‘Next Generation Lifestyle Hall.’ Detailed instructions on how to use the AR service can be found through the ‘Help’ function. The AR experience service supports a variety of products, from large home appliances like TVs and refrigerators to daily and kitchen appliances. Currently, about 50 top popular models among the product categories are selected for the service, and 20 more will be added each month.

To celebrate the introduction of the ‘AR Virtual Placement Experience Service,’ Lotte Hi-Mart will hold a customer participation event until October 31. Customers who preview appliance placement and capture the screen to post on the ‘Next Generation Lifestyle Hall’ will have a chance to be selected as one of five outstanding participants and receive a Hi-Mart mobile gift certificate worth 50,000 won. Simply participating in the event will earn 200 L.Points. When purchasing eligible products, customers can accumulate up to 150,000 L.Points depending on the purchase amount.

Lee Ok, team leader of the Lotte Hi-Mart Platform Project Team, said, “We introduced the AR Virtual Placement Experience Service to provide an experience similar to browsing home appliances in an actual store through a mobile screen,” adding, “If customers place 3D-rendered products in their desired spaces such as their homes, it will greatly help them when purchasing appliances online.”