• DM News, Tuesday, January 9, 2007 12 PM

A savvy side of Sears that allows consumers to experience its products virtually has been unveiled in Second Life, the popular online community where real people and brands go to get a new, though virtual, life. The Sears Virtual Home, which resides on partner IBM's platform, joins a growing number of brand marketers that have moved into the community, including Lego, Sony BMG, Nike and Circuit City.

The 3-D showroom, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, shows how the use of virtual worlds can transform consumer experience. At Sears, consumers can experiment with changing the color of cabinets and countertops, explore 3-D versions of home theater set-ups and learn how to organize their garages by virtually customizing storage accessories. The virtual showroom replicates in 3-D the custom design tools already available at Sears.com.

Consumers can order items from the Sears Virtual Home by clicking through to Sears.com. Eventually, Sears' customers are expected to be able to use avatars--3-D virtual representations of themselves--to replicate their exact room dimensions and experiment with redesigning their kitchens, garages or home theaters by selecting appliances, tools and furniture.

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