The idea of virtual shopping is to bring the shopping experience out of the mall and into our living rooms. Shopping goes way beyond just finding the best deals and making purchases. For some, it is a social event, a place to go to hang out with friends. For others, it is entertainment. The very act of going into different shops and seeing what is for sale can be a whole lot of fun.
Virtual shopping cannot take the smell of the cookie shop, or let you truly enjoy the food court, but it can let you window shop as if you were in a real mall.
The Virtual Shopping Mall
Kinset is ushering in a whole new way of shopping with their virtual shopping mall. Other sites have tried it in the past with 2D diagrams of a mall layout and links to various 'shops', but Kinset puts you into the mall by having you download a small client application that delivers a virtual reality experience with the setting of an outdoor mall.
It is a great idea, and it really works very well. The application provided by Kinset installs very easily and is quick to load up with products once you enter one of the virtual stores. Suddenly, browsing online becomes eerily similar to browsing in a real store.
Beyond Kinset - The Future of Virtual Shopping
What Kinset has done is great, but it really is just the tip of the iceburg as far as what is possible.
Imagine the combination of online shopping, social networking, and massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft. The end result is a virtual world where you can really interact with other shoppers in real time, hunt for the best deals in groups, and even rest your virtual feed at the food court and catch up on the latest gossip.
Of course, you'll need to supply your own food, but the possibilities are endless. It really is a brave new (virtual) world that is in store for us.
