David's Bridal responds to pandemic disruptions with AR, 3D dress visuals

Dive Brief:

David's Bridal has tapped Vertebrae, an augmented reality technology company, to create a virtual bridal shopping experience, the company announced.
Customers can now go to the David's Bridal website and view the retailer's best-selling dresses from its product pages in 3D and AR visualizations, the company said. They can view garments at a full 360-degree angle and examine details up close.
After its launch, more bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses will be added to the 3D and AR collection every week, per the company statement.

Dive Insight:

David's Bridal's partnership with Vertebrae is an extension of its efforts to improve its digital shopping experience for online consumers. With these AR and 3D capabilities, customers can make more informed purchases online, the company said.

"With the temporary shutdown of stores in early March, we took the opportunity to reimagine the experience and help bring excitement to shoppers at home," Lizzy Ellingson, chief digital experience officer at David's Bridal, said in a statement. "Vertebrae's renderings enable brides to be, and their bridesmaids, the ability to view life-sized digital renderings in fine detail, boosting their confidence to narrow down options and buy online, which is something we know brides are becoming more comfortable with every day."

David's Bridal has been updating its digital experience for some time now, including launching a chatbot and other wedding planning tools in January. Since the pandemic, the retailer has accelerated its technology efforts, debuting virtual styling and appointments, and now 3D and AR capabilities. On the payments side of the business, the company has also teamed up with Affirm to provide customers with payment plans and enlisted Popwallet to reach customers via mobile wallets. The company has made two key hires to boost its digital operations in the past year: a chief digital experience officer in December and a chief technology officer in July.

As David's Bridal adds more digital features, so have other retailers in the space. In January, Macy's partnered with Zola to let couples register for their wedding gifts. And in May, Jared introduced a virtual wedding platform for couples. It remains to be seen whether the bridal industry can rely on tech to turn itself around.