Changing the way consumers shop using 3D tech

How Palliser is using 3D technology to redefine the customer journey.

Summary

Palliser, North America’s largest leather upholstery manufacturer, began the journey of evolving its website to cater to both retail partners and end-consumers. The Cylindo 360 HD Viewer has enabled Palliser to easily showcase all available models in a consistent manner and to stay on brand without spending additional resources on manufacturing showroom models and traditional photography. Besides the higher engagement and increased brand awareness, Palliser retail partners have noticed the trend of more and more customers walking into a store ready to place an order after using the Cylindo Viewer.

The challenge

A website that primarily caters to B2B buyers.

Palliser North America’s largest leather upholstery manufacturer, has been in the industry for more than 75 years. Committed to quality, Canadian-based Palliser provides the best possible care to customers that choose to welcome Palliser upholstery into their homes.

As a brand that supports a network of partners, the Palliser website has historically been predominantly retailer-focused. Furniture models were standardized to cater to an audience of B2B buyers, and product pages were optimized to support industry professionals rather than end-consumers browsing for home furnishing.

In 2021, Palliser began the journey of evolving their website to cater to both retail partners and end-consumers alike, with future plans to drive a significant amount of traffic to the Palliser website in an effort to raise consideration and brand awareness among end-consumers.

The final goal is clear: have end-consumers walk into a local retail store and ask for Palliser by name.

Adding the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer has been the first step toward creating a better experience for all visitors.

However, it wasn’t until the very recent launch of Palliser’s upholstered Beds with the Cylindo’s 360 HD Viewer that confirmed their initial findings: plenty of end consumers are already researching Palliser prior to walking into a retail partner store.

And supporting customers with the right tools — tools that help them make an informed purchase decision — may be a crucial step in the buying process.

We’ve tasked ourselves to equip customers with all the information they need to make a purchase decision before ever seeing a showroom sample

Allison Dineen, Director of Marketing, Content Creation & Artwork, Palliser

The solution

Cylindo’s product visualization technology as a powerful tool for multiple users.

1. 360 HD Viewer on Beds section of website

The newly-launched Palliser upholstered beds category brings a modern twist on timeless furniture models, with the added bonus of the final product being fully customizable.

Palliser’s upholstered beds are available in more than 200 fabric and leather options, with prospects being able to further select the bed size, headboard height, leg type, and overall look and feel.

The Cylindo 360 HD Viewer has enabled Palliser to easily showcase all available models in a consistent manner and to stay on brand without spending additional resources on manufacturing showroom models and traditional photography.

Palermo Bed

Headboard Height

Leg Type

Upholstery

2. Cylindo 360 HD Viewer doubles as a product configurator

One of Palliser beds’ biggest appeals is the opportunity to further customize each bed, which is where, again, the **Cylindo 360 HD Viewer ** comes into play.

Powered by the very same 3D asset library, the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer doubles up as a product configurator that allows customers to explore in-depth each of the colors, textures, and materials. Thanks to the ability to spin, zoom, and pan in detail, customers can see the final product down to the finest detail.

However, the product configurator isn’t only something that creates a rich product page experience. As Allison Dineen, Director of Marketing, Content Creation & Artwork at Palliser, puts it, it’s “a silent sales tool”

Multiple Palliser retail partners have noticed the trend of more and more customers walking into a store ready to place an order after using the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer, oftentimes with a print out of the Cylindo model and their chosen options in hand!

“As we expected, our retailers are loving the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer, but the best part is that multiple retailers have told us the end consumer is using the tool before they even enter a Palliser retailer. Customers are literally walking into our retailers’ stores with a pre-configured bed ready in hand. Most of these retailers do not yet have a physical sample of the beds on their floors and consumers are placing their orders then and there. The end consumer has total confidence in the 3D modeling”, says Allison Dineen, Director of Marketing, Content Creation & Artwork at Palliser

3. Cylindo 3D technology as a way to support retailers

Considering the popularity and practicality of the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer, Palliser is encouraging retailers to further put to use the 3D technology on the Palliser website.

All retailers need to do is provide tablets to their showroom sales representatives and they can use the **Cylindo 360 HD Viewer **on the Palliser website for no additional cost. Considering how easy and intuitive the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer is, it takes little to no training for sales reps to fully grasp the potential.

On top of that, seeing the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer in action encourages customers that haven’t yet been to the Palliser website to explore customization options on their own before coming back to complete the purchase in a retail store.

Future plans include developing an in-store touch screen kiosk utilizing Cylindo 3D assets. Retailers would be able to implement and operate the touch screen kiosk for a more immersive Palliser experience than ever before!

4. 3D product visualization technology to enhance the experience at furniture markets

Palliser has also used the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer to enhance the brand experience at furniture markets. Additionally, (potential) furniture retail partners can see just how convenient (and powerful) 3D technology is.

The way they’ve done it is simple: on a large screen near the entrance of the showroom, a video showcases the web experience that Cylindo provides on the Palliser website. Sales representatives are also using tablets to encourage partners to take the product configurator for a spin.

This way, present and future partners can experience the Cylindo 360 HD Viewer first-hand and discover the true potential of 3D technology.

Ever since partnering with Cylindo, Palliser has witnessed the following results:

Shortened buyer journey &
increased confidence

Higher engagement on PDPs

Improved brand communication

Increased brand awareness

The results

A company that’s redefining the furniture industry.

Following the Cylindo implementation, the feedback from both retailers and end consumers has been nothing but positive.

The massive changes that keep rolling out on the Palliser website offer a glimpse into what’s coming: a brand that’s redefining customer communication.

“Everything that’s been accomplished so far is just the beginning”, explains Allison Dineen. “What’s really happening is a mindset change. We want to reinvent the buyer journey and shift from a B2B2C to a B2C2B approach.”

And thanks to 3D technology and Palliser’s smart way of utilizing and making the most out of their assets library, that change is happening sooner rather than later.

With the B2C2B mentality, while we don’t sell directly to customers via our website, we can help them walk into the store well informed and prepared to make the purchase. We’ve taken upon the task of equipping customers with all the information they need to make a decision, even without seeing a showroom example

Allison Dineen, Director of Marketing, Content Creation & Artwork, Palliser

As Palliser continues to partner with Cylindo, they keep exploring and discovering new ways to bring the brand and its values even closer to their customers. Following the immediate Beds success, Palliser is now working on expanding their 3D catalog, with the final goal of including their complete upholstery offering on the Cylindo platform.

About Palliser

Palliser, one of the best-known Canadian brands, famous for manufacturing beautiful furniture that stands the test of time, has been in the market for more than 75 years. Operating with a badge of excellence, Palliser is committed to providing the best possible care to customers that choose to welcome Palliser furniture into their homes.