14 DAY TRIAL // Mobile carrier AT&T has just launched its Online Experience Store and, in doing so, has really managed to create an online store different from anything else we’ve seen so far, thus giving the shopping experience a complete “makeover.”
Online Experience Store allows users to “touch,” experience and purchase devices and services online, in a similar way as they would if they were actually in a real store. This is possible because the digital storefront introduces a 3-D shopping model that brings rich, interactive demonstrations and tutorials from five categories of wireless products: phones and devices, music, video and Web, messaging, and e-mail and productivity.
Once you enter the Online Experience Store, you will see a 3-D representation of an AT&T store layout, completed by a simulated Microsoft Surface unit. Then, you can choose a guided video tour given by two AT&T "representatives," or to explore the sights and sounds of the five stations independently.
"Customers rely on their wireless devices to deliver content and functionality, so they naturally want to experience devices and services before making a purchase," said David Huntley, senior vice president of Direct Mail, E-Commerce and National Agent Sales for AT&T. "With the 3-D presentation, interactive tutorials and life-size device demonstrations offered in the Online Experience Store, customers can have an in-store experience whenever they choose from anywhere there's a broadband connection."
The design is really nice, and indeed contributes to offering a unique shopping experience. One thing that is a bit annoying is the fact that, if you don't turn off the sounds, and you move on to browsing another webpage, you keep hearing a “Pssst!Check out this and that” or “Taking a break? That's ok.” However, besides that, everything seems to be fun and interactive, so users won't get bored while browsing the products and services that AT&T provides.