As the holiday season nears, the prospect of crowded shopping centres looms. However, this experience could soon become a thing of the past with the anticipated launch of Fidelity Apps, a cutting-edge VR shopping platform developed by young tech entrepreneur, Jackson Meyer.

Fidelity Apps encompasses a novel blend of immersive, interactive, and social experiences for retail businesses keen to introduce VR into their brand and shopping interactions. The company strives to offer a mobile virtual reality shopping experience that eliminates the need for cumbersome headsets. The steadily growing platform, initiated in 2021, pledges to drastically change how families shop for the festive season.

"With the continuing advancements in virtual and augmented reality, we are going to see a new era of shopping. It's going to revolutionise the way Australians shop! The 2020s have witnessed an unprecedented surge in the adoption of these technologies, fundamentally changing the landscape of retail," explained Mr Meyer.

The integration of VR and AR into holiday shopping seeks to introduce a level of convenience and flexibility into the purchasing process, especially during bustling sale periods like Christmas. Patrons will be able to peruse in-store layouts and catalogues from their own homes, diminishing the requirement for physical visits to bustling brick-and-mortar stores.

The option to virtually try on products and envisage them in their personal environments is anticipated to engage consumers, providing retailers with an opportunity to offer personalised product recommendations for a more customised and enjoyable shopping experience. "Physical stores are evolving and implementing a VR strategy into the business model can really add value to the overall shopping experience, both in-store and online," suggested Mr Meyer.

According to recent studies, Virtual Reality is set to bring in over $1.6 billion globally by 2025, with over 74% of brands surveyed in 2021 witnessing an uplift in customer engagement. "One study reveals that consumer store experiences through virtual reality have a profound effect on emotional states and perceived store attractiveness," added Meyer.

A shift in customer attitudes has largely fuelled the growing demand for a digital age shopping experience, prompting retailers to invest in technology to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping. "We've seen other major retailers like Nike and Ikea adopt a more traditional VR strategy with headsets that has proven beneficial, especially around the Christmas period. The introduction of platforms that can be used on your phone anywhere, anytime will continue to drive a significant shift in the retail industry. It really will be a game-changer for many Christmases to come," asserted Mr Meyer.

In a major development, Fidelity Apps recently proclaimed strategic partnerships with reputable Australian retailers Cotton On Group and Linen House. This establishes Fidelity as the first VR company of its kind to introduce a virtual shopping experience of this calibre to the local market.

Fidelity is also working on innovative enhancements such as virtual trying-on of clothes via full-body scanners. This is part of their concerted effort to bridge the divide between the digital and physical realms, providing customers with an unprecedented and interactive shopping encounter.