Using VR in retail to achieve a deeper customer connection

Using VR in retail to achieve a deeper customer connection: Case MUJI

Japanese retail company MUJI have harnessed virtual reality to achieve a deeper connection with their in-store customers, and the Varjo Aero enables crystal-clear communication of their core values.

Professional-grade VR in retail

Perched atop a shopping center directly in the center of urban Helsinki, it can be hard to imagine MUJI’s European flagship store as a calm space.

However, with warm wood paneling covering the walls and floors, constantly running essential oil diffusers, and a clean minimal aesthetic – very much at home in its Nordic location – MUJI expertly instills a peaceful atmosphere in-store.

Turning to nature

In November of 2021, MUJI decided to double down on efforts to communicate serenity to their customers by launching a virtual reality experience centered on nature.

As part of a physical in-store installation, customers can try on a?Varjo Aero virtual reality headset ?while sitting on one of the store’s signature pine wood beds.

Created in collaboration with Finnish creative agency?20/20 , the VR experience instantly transports participants to the heart of Finnish nature.

Filmed with a 360° camera, users open their eyes to an idyllic lakeside vista captured in the Nuuksio National Park located a short distance Northwest of Helsinki city.

As the daylight shifts, a group of people emerge from the surrounding trees and step into the lake, just far away enough to avoid breaking the thick sense of tranquility but close enough to share their enjoyment of the stunning nature.

Varjo Aero’s ?wide color gamut and vivid mini-LED displays convey the deep greens of the foliage, and the warm tones of the campfire lit by the visitors, in a way that VR hardware simply has not been able to achieve before.

MUJI’s name is derived from ‘Mujirushi Ryohin’, which can be translated as ‘no-brand quality goods.’ This philosophy forms the backbone of MUJI’s policy to deliver sustainable and affordable quality through simplicity.

The innovative VR experience gives customers a new understanding of the simple nature of the pinewood bed on which they are sitting. All whilst communicating the invaluable sense of calm that simple, sustainable, high-quality products can introduce into a customer’s hectic life.

Adding immersion to the customer experience

Managing director of MUJI Finland, Miho Takagi, arrived in Finland in June 2020 and quickly made it her mission to convey the benefits, beyond the affordability, of MUJI to local customers.

“Currently virtual reality is often being considered for use in e-commerce in the marketing areas, but MUJI doesn’t think that way. We think of how we can get closer to our customers and offer them a journey through Muji’s philosophical world.”

– Miho Takagi, Managing Director, MUJI Finland

The future of virtual reality in physical retail

The?Varjo Aero ?implementation in the MUJI store was an exclusive early-access installation, but the headset is now available for order to both businesses and individuals alike.

“As Varjo Aero becomes commercially available, we are thrilled to see the journeys that brands will take their customers on, and the stories they will share, with a device that makes mass deployment of professional-grade VR a reality.”

– Jussi M?kinen, Chief Brand Officer, Varjo

Watch the accompanying film to hear the interview conducted with Miho Takagi on Muji’s pioneering retail VR experience and view extracts from the 360 footage.

To learn more about the Varjo Aero , and how it provides a generational leap in visual fidelity for virtual reality experiences, head this way .

Want to learn more about Varjo and the benefits VR/XR can bring to your daily workflow?

Explore more?customer stories ?or?contact our sales team ?today!