AIS engineers virtual mall

AIS engineers virtual mall

The world's first virtual shopping mall V-Avenue.Co by AIS and its partners started with 210 local SMEs offering more than 10,000 products.
The world's first virtual shopping mall V-Avenue.Co by AIS and its partners started with 210 local SMEs offering more than 10,000 products.

Largest mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS), in partnership with retail operators, has launched virtual shopping mall V-Avenue.Co to support retail business and help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during difficult times amid the pandemic.

This virtual mall, which can be accessed through V-Avenue.Co website, aims to provide a new shopping experience for customers and boost their engagement through virtual reality (VR) technology.

Some 210 local SMEs providing more than 10,000 products are now present on the platform. SMEs are allowed to board the platform without revenue-sharing requirement from AIS.

The SMEs are also projected to benefit from AIS's 42 million subscribers.

"With new normal lifestyles which arose since last year we are confident that 5G and VR are key mechanisms with an increasingly important role in key industries and people's lives from many perspectives," said Pratthana Leelapanang, chief consumer business officer of AIS.

VR and augmented reality (AR) technology is forecast to add US$1.5 trillion (45 trillion baht) to the world economy by 2030, with an effect on 23 million jobs.

According to Mr Pratthana, it took almost a year for the development of V-Avenue.Co, which comes under collaboration with leading operators in the retail sector, such as the Mall Group, City Mall Group (The Emporium), TV Direct as well as leading lifestyle brands, such as Loft, Jung Saem Mool and ALAND.

Customers will be able to choose products freely as if they were at the mall, in line with new shopping behaviour, he said.

Users can use a VR handset for enhanced virtual shopping experience on V-Avenue.Co, which also offers live events and exclusive promotions.

Interested local SMEs can sign up to join the website so as to reach out to customers without cost or any revenue sharing, he said. The SMEs should have their own basic content for marketing, such as pictures or videos of their products.

In the near future, he said, AIS plans to add features to meet requirements of online shopping, such as live sales staff who can chat and recommend products.

In front of the virtual mall, space can be given to operators to hold virtual events, such as expos, concerts or fashion shows, said Mr Pratthana.

Marketing campaigns will be held through both online and offline channels through collaboration with partners, such as promotions, discounts and extra privileges.

Present in the V-Avenue.Co are The Emporium and The Mall Lifestore Ngamwongwan, which provides lifestyle products and international brands, as well as the AIS virtual store.

It also houses Asian Lifestyle, a hub for leading lifestyle products gathering three international brands -- ALAND, a multi-brand fashion store from Korea; Jung Saem Mool, a Korean professional cosmetics brand; and Loft, a specialty store of brands from Japan. It is also home to TV Direct, which offers innovative products, and Community Hub.

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