+Buy: What shopping in VR really looks like

London - Not every retailer may see the future of shopping taking place in the virtual world. However, online e-commerce giant Alibaba is one of it the first companies to launch a full virtual reality shopping experience for consumers through the app Buy+.

Unlike other VR shopping experiences launched by some retailers, which only work with VR systems such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, Alibaba’s Buy+ works with a smartphone and cardboard VR headset. Said to offer customers the freedom to browse through items for sale in a virtual mall, customers can “visit” famous department stores, such as Macy’s in New York, in VR without having to leave the comfort of their home. Shoppers can even make a purchase in real-time, without being redirected to a retailer’s website using Alibaba’s Alipay.

Officially launched the week before Alibaba’s global shopping festival, Singles’ Day, together with a VR cardboard headset, over 30,000 people are said to have visited the VR shopping mall within one hour of its launch, according to Alibaba.

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Photo: Courtesy of the Alibaba Group