Chinese giant invests in VR – will other markets follow?

Alibaba Group plans to open a virtual-reality technology (VR) demonstration shop this month, with the technology to roll out by the end of the year, designed for online shopping.

Alibaba’s 400 million customers will be able to enhance their shopping experience by wearing a VR helmet or glasses designed to simulate being in a physical store.

Alibaba

Alibaba senior director of mobile Zhuang Zhuoran

Shoppers can rotate products they see in the virtual store by moving a controller connected to the helmet, and even ask for a model to show how the product works or is worn. Users can also use the controller to click the buy button.

Alibaba set up its Gnome Magic Lab in March to develop software to enable merchants to build virtual stores. VR gear ranges in price from $20 to $1000, and consumers buy 300,000 VR units on Alibaba’s Chinese online marketplaces each month, according to the group.