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AAVVGG is a Toronto-based multi-brand merchant that curates the best designed and most beautiful versions of every object for the home or office. From coffee tables and couches to hot tubs and bicycles, their online-only store showcases thousands of products from dozens of different brands in an elegant ecommerce store that somehow makes all of the products feel like one consistent and coherent collection.
And while the store’s design and artful product photography does a lot to present the products in their best light, there’s still a question about whether or not it’s an accurate representation of what they’ll look like in real life.
The challenge is that the products in their collection can sometimes be unique as the taste of the people buying them. In this world, purchase decisions aren’t just made based on the basics like dimensions and fabrics, they’re made on much more nuanced characteristics that are hard to capture and difficult to describe. People might want to know how something feels, or how it catches the light, or how its texture plays off the other items in their living room. And because of their price point, customer satisfaction is even more important.
We don’t see ourselves as a luxury store, but we appreciate that we’re selling items online that end up living in peoples home and office spaces, ideally forever
Challenge
AAVVGG has done a lot of customizations to their store, like adding metafields for descriptors like fabric, firmness, measurements, and dimensions to help customers understand how products might fit into their spaces and lives.
But despite their best attempts to accurately represent the nuance and individuality of each product, a large gap remains between seeing an object on a screen and experiencing it in your space.
In an ideal world, every customer would be able to take home, test, and try every product in context to be 100% confident in their purchase. However, with a store that features over 5 billion product variations, it simply isn't possible.
Solution
Thanks to the advanced capabilities of Apple’s iOS 17, merchants can now easily create dynamic, photo-realistic 3D models using just their iPhones (Pro models). These models allow customers to use AR to experience and interact with photo-realistic models of products in the spaces that they’ll be used in. This lets them experience and evaluate design elements like textures, details, dimension, and colour in context before making a purchase. Which means that customers are not only more likely to convert, but more likely to be satisfied with their purchases after the fact.
3D models help stores like AAVVGG narrow the gap between digital vs in-person shopping while still maintaining an extremely high degree of curation and customization. Because anybody can create these models, it also eliminates the need to rely on suppliers for 3D models, or to pay external providers to create them.
Here's a look at a standard static product image from aavvgg.com, compared to a 3D model of the same Chord Modular Sofa — Navy Felt. You can immediately see the level of detail the 3D model brings out in the ottoman, that the static image doesn't represent.
Try it in your space!
We rely on the products Shopify builds and find ways to use them and gain an advantage against our competitors
Shopify’s 3D scanner makes it possible for any business to help customers make big ticket sales with absolute confidence. For a store like AAVVGG, that can increase conversion rates, reduce time to purchase, and gain a competitive advantage over their competitors.
Try the 3D scanner in the Shopify app today
3D Models FAQ
What equipment do I need to create a 3D model of a product?
Creating a 3D model of a product requires an Apple device with a LiDAR scanner and iOS 17 or later. Compatible devices include the iPad Pro from 2020 onward and iPhone 12 Pro through 15 Pro Max models. No separate 3D scanner or paid software is needed — the built-in camera captures the object, and the finished file uploads directly to a product page for shoppers to view in AR.
What file format do 3D product models use?
3D product models built through mobile scanning are typically saved as USDZ files, the format used by Apple's AR Quick Look for viewing objects in augmented reality. Object Capture converts a series of photos taken on an iPhone or iPad into high-quality 3D models saved as USDZ files, ready for augmented reality viewing. Because USDZ works directly in mobile browsers and camera apps, shoppers don't need to install an extra viewer or plugin.
How do shoppers view a 3D model on a product page?
Shoppers can open a 3D model straight from the product page, and on AR-capable phones or tablets the object appears as a virtual item placed in their real surroundings through the camera. On an iPhone or iPad that supports the AR technology, the model opens through the device's camera and appears as a virtual object in the real-world environment shown on the camera screen. On devices without AR support, the same file can be opened in a browser or the default picture viewer to rotate and examine it from any angle.
Can every product be turned into a 3D model?
Not every product scans equally well — results vary depending on the object's material and shape. Not all products are suitable for 3D modeling, and not every object can be scanned with a LiDAR scanner. Shiny, reflective, or very thin surfaces are the most likely to produce distortions. Providing enough lighting on the object and avoiding sudden movements while scanning both help produce a better-quality model.
Do I need to hire a 3D artist or agency to create product models?
No — mobile scanning tools let merchants capture their own photo-realistic 3D models without hiring outside 3D artists, agencies, or relying on suppliers to provide them. Because anyone with a compatible device can build a model directly from the product itself, stores skip the cost and turnaround time of outsourced 3D production while keeping full control over how each item is represented online.
How long does it take to scan a product into a 3D model?
Scanning a single product into a 3D model generally takes about 10 to 15 minutes using a LiDAR-equipped mobile device. Building a 3D model with a LiDAR-equipped device and companion app typically takes 10 to 15 minutes and usually involves scanning the object three times. Turnaround depends on the object's size, shape, and how many angles need capturing, but no additional editing software is typically required once the scan is complete.
