"New technologies like computer vision, augmented and mixed reality are now bridging the imagination gap, enabling retailers to let consumers preview products in their own rooms before they have to buy"
David Levine, DigitalBridge CEO
Disagreeing with a partner and not being able to picture what new furniture, wallpaper or flooring will look like at home are among the biggest frustrations experienced by consumers when shopping for home interior products.
Nearly one in three homeowners (28%) have struggled to make a decision about upgrading their home in the past year, with doubts driven by not being able to imagine what products will look like in a particular room.
Consumers are particularly annoyed not being able to picture new wallpaper or paint, with more than half (51%) revealing this was consistently a problem during a home improvement project – with many putting off making a buying decision.
The same proportion of consumers have put off buying new furniture because of the imagination gap, while nearly a quarter (23%) have experienced the problem when planning to install a new floor.
A seemingly infinite choice of products, styles and colour combinations are also leaving millions of Brits annoyed, with a quarter of shoppers saying they feel overwhelmed by choice when shopping for their home.
The research forms part of a major retail report commissioned by Manchester tech start-up DigitalBridge, which found retailers are losing as much as £1bn a year because of the imagination gap – which occurs when consumers walk away from purchases because they can’t imagine what products will look like once they get home.
It also revealed that nearly one in five consumers (18%) often hesitated on making a final decision because they were nervous about making the wrong decision.
And one in 10 couples said they had found themselves in at least one argument in the last year because they couldn’t agree what they wanted a project to look like – a problem made worse because they were unable to preview their choices before committing to any purchases.
David Levine, CEO of DigitalBridge – a room visualisation tool that allows consumers to “try on” home décor products before buying them – said: “With so much choice when it comes to taking on a home improvement project it is no surprise that millions of homeowners are becoming frustrated.
“Buying new furniture, putting up new wallpaper, or installing a new floor can be costly and time consuming and not being entirely sure what these things will look like until they’ve been purchased can be a cause of stress, or at least concern for consumers.
“In the past, this was a problem retailers were unable to help with, but new technologies like computer vision, augmented and mixed reality are now bridging the imagination gap, enabling retailers to let consumers preview products in their own rooms before they have to buy anything.”
For more information about DigitalBridge’s report: “The Imagination Gap – Retail’s £1bn problem” go to http://digitalbridge.eu/downloadreport-2/
Top 5 frustrations when shopping for home décor products
· Can’t picture what products will look like in my own home – 28%
· Overwhelmed by choice – 25%
· Worried about regretting a design choice – 18%
· Disagreement with a partner – 7%
· Shop’s website was difficult to navigate – 6%
