siliconindia | | MAY 20218Until the year-end of 2019, evolution in consumer demand and advancement in technologies were considered to be the ultimate reasons for changes and revolution in any industry. But, the sudden occurrence of coronavirus pandemic changed the tradition. Since last year, the pandemic has managed to transform how people live, shop, and interact with others. Same is the scenario for industries in the business world. While the pandemic has affected business operations in almost every industry globally, e-Commerce platforms are adopting new technologies in order to keep up with consumer needs and offer a hassle-free shopping experience. In India, many e-Commerce furniture platforms are witnessing huge shifts in consumer behaviour and frequently changing business trends. Not just that, but in the past few years, the furniture industry has faced digital transformation challenges.According to an industry report published by Indian Brand Equity Foundation, the e-Commerce revenue in India is projected to increase from $39 billion (2017) to $200 billion (2026); growing at 51 percent annual rate, touted to be the highest in the world. It's no surprise that technology will continue to change the rules of the e-Commerce game. The digital natives consider technology as an integral part of their lives, and they expect a seamless Omni-channel shopping experience. Consequently, online shopping and the online retail industry, in particular, have seen advancement due to technological developments such as cloud space and artificial intelligence, further accelerating the growth of e-Commerce in India. The IBEF report further states that the Indian e-Commerce industry is expected to outrank the United States as world's second-largest e-Commerce market by 2034, driven by hyper-local logistics, digital payments, digital advertisements, and analytics-based customer engagement. Let's have a look at how the pandemic and advancement in technologies are acting as a catalyst in changing the e-Commerce furniture industry in India.Augmented Reality - The furniture industry is an incredibly visual-dependent space, and customers welcome every effort to bridge the gap between the online and in-store shopping experience. This is one of the main reasons why Augmented Reality (AR) has significant potential to disrupt the way people shop for furniture. AR can help consumers make informed decisions by giving them the opportunity to virtually "try-out" furniture, not worrying about bad decisions, and removing a huge weight from their shoulders before the big purchase. According to Google, two in three people say they are interested in harnessing AR to help them when shopping. Soon, AR will become an inevitable part of a buyer's HOW DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE E-COMMERCE FURNITURE INDUSTRYBY CEO INSIGHTS TEAMIN FOCUS
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