Creating and embedding three-dimensional images is easier and faster than ever. And advances in technology now make it possible to create 3D images of objects that previously presented obstacles, such as those that are black, glossy or shiny.

Kosta Popov, CEO and founder, Cappasity

Kosta Popov, CEO and founder, Cappasity

According to the recent research conducted by Bain & Co, the growth of the personal luxury goods sales will continue at a 4%–5% compound annual rate over the next three years. Unsurprisingly, one of the main growth drivers is emerging technology for retail.

Still, global luxury juggernauts have very cautious with new technologies, and it’s only recently that these brands have begun to explore luxury tech segment of thedigital marketing tools.

With dozens of brand-new luxury-specific technology solutions out there, the online shopping experience continues to evolve, adopting the best features of brick-and-mortar stores. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to bring the emotions and engagement of physical retail into digital world, and here’s where 3D product imaging comes into play.

3D Product Imaging

 3D Product Imaging is a technology that allows to bring in-store experience to online shopping through high-resolution 3D images.Thanks to it, a retailer can provide customers with a graphical 3D product representation that is also interactive. With a 3D View, a customer can choose what part of the object they’d like to see. Zoom in or out? Rotate the object? View it in motion? All these features are easily accessible thanks to 3D imaging.
Some merchants see demo videos that show products in action as a way to enhance the online shopping experience, yet, according to the recent research, 95 percent of respondents prefer an interactive 3D representation to video playback. Engagement levels and interactivity are not the only metrics to be positively affected by 3D product imaging as it also boosts metrics that directly influence sales, with conversion rate being a prime example.

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With 3D product imaging, TSUM, one of the largest luxury goods department stores in Eastern Europe, increased its conversion rate by almost 40% for products in the shoes and bags categories. TSUM is the first company to have digitized over 40,000 products in 3D, proving that it is possible to visualize large numbers of stock keeping units (SKUs) in a reasonable timeframe.

Still, having the right tools is key as most solutions for 3D imaging are still facing three major weaknesses: They require a lot of costly equipment, take too much time and, consequently, do not work for large catalogs.

It’s thanks to recent advancements that creating a 3D view of any piece is now a simple 3-step process: Shoot the chosen object with a digital camera, upload the result into the processing platform to get a 3D view and, once it’s ready, embed it into anything you wish, be it website, mobile or 3D/AR/VR application. Besides the simplicity of use the new SaaS technology for 3D imaging offered by Cappasity and other companiea is also very fast. In fact, it is ten times faster than previous 3D technology and doesn’t require any specific equipment.

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What types of products can be visualized in 3D?

The sky’s the limit! Though it’s only recently that current 3D technologies have advanced enough to be able to process product features that not so long ago were considered out of reach: black, shiny, and glossy objects such as silks, leathers, and jewelry items, as well as anything transparent, unusually shaped or textured. Depicting all of that is now possible without obstacles.

For instance, American Greetings, a creator and manufacturer of social expression products and the leader in e-greetings, looked at every visualization option and, in addition to high-quality photos, now also presents the site visitors with 3D images. Considering that reenacting the in-store experience for greeting cards online is almost impossible with the current visualization tools available, for American Greetings, 3D product imaging has solved a major problem. Glitter, foil, embossing, and other attachments are quite common with greeting cards, and it can be difficult to appreciate these features with traditional 2D photography.

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Lingerie can also be 3D-digitized as proven by F3 Studio, the European fashion brand that offers numbers, ranging from enticing yet practical to full out provocative. Judging by the results, neither delicate trims nor chantilly lace posed a challenge to 3D imaging technology.


Jewelry brands make sure not to be left behind tech-wise, too, and Guérin Joaillerie, the premium jewelry brand in Europe, is to deploy its 3D imaging solution on Guerin.com.

Delicate objects such as gem-encrusted rings can be difficult for traditional 3D modeling and scanning technologies to properly capture. 3D product imaging technology, on the contrary, is able to capture features that make jewelry difficult for other solutions to portray including the sparkle of gems and glitter of metal, transparency, reflections of light, and unusual design.

AI analytics tools for 3D product imaging

As business decision making becomes steadily more data-driven, demand for measurable metrics is higher than ever. Conversion rate, website traffic, and customer engagement levels are important guides for marketers in all industries, yet some don’t even realize they need previously non-existent data that is now available.

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AI analytics tools of 2019 will be able to track the way potential customers interact with product imagery embedded into retailers’ websites, be it 2D or 3D images, and present the most telling metrics on a heat map. Apart from dwell time the tool will highlight points of customer interest and the best angles for thumbnail product positioning as well as predict the probability of the purchase based on the patterns in customer behavior.

Bottom line

3D product visualization and AI for both in-depth analytics and boosting engagement levels are the e-commerce trends to keep up with in 2019. These trends, when assembled, form a solid foundation for a holistic business strategy meant to boost sales and pave the way for brand innovations and futuristic yet satisfying customer experience.
Cappasity provides a platform for creating, embedding and analyzing 3D and AR/VR content.

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