Wayfair is building on key existing programs involving television partnerships and virtual/augmented reality.
The retailer has formed a new collaboration involving the 21st annual HGTV Dream Home. For the first time, Wayfair will provide all of the furnishings and décor that will fill the HGTV program’s focus, a 3,200-square-foot home located on St. Simons Island, GA. Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn and other professionals remodeled the home, an effort that involved 400 pieces from Wayfair’s catalog. The HGTV Dream Home special will air January 1, 2017.
“As a longtime partner of Scripps Networks, we’re thrilled to collaborate for the first time on an HGTV Dream Home,” said Nancy Go, vp/ brand marketing, Wayfair. “Our comprehensive selection of furniture and décor made us the right partner to not only achieve a beautiful aesthetic, but also showcase many unique styles throughout the home that represent something for everyone.”
In the virtual reality realm, Wayfair is launching View in Room, a new, first-generation mobile app feature that lets shoppers see furniture and décor in their homes before pre-purchase. The new feature allows consumers to place 2D images of any among six million products in a room setting using a mobile device camera. Consumers can get versions of the Wayfair app providing View in Room with iPhone and Android devices. Wayfair also offers View in Room on Joss & Main and AllModern mobile apps.
“As we pioneer new emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, we are simultaneously focused on bringing new solutions to market that will immediately benefit all of our customers,” said Steve Conine, co-founder and co-chairman, Wayfair. “The new View in Room feature solves a common customer pain point by making it possible for shoppers to preview furniture and décor in their home before placing an order.”
