What shoppers once called “online shopping” has evolved into something far smarter.
Virtual shopping now blends artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and live video commerce into one immersive experience, where shoppers can use AI to see clothes on their own body, preview furniture in their space, or join a livestream before making a purchase. It’s also becoming tightly connected to clienteling, where associates use unified data to deliver personalized service.
For small and midsize retailers, this shift can feel overwhelming, but it’s a practical opportunity—especially when ecommerce and point of sale (POS) work on a single commerce platform.
Throughout this guide, you’ll learn about how virtual shopping works, the technologies that make it possible, how clienteling fits in, and how to pilot them step by step, from choosing the right apps to tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion lift and return reduction.
By the end, you’ll understand not just what virtual shopping is, but how to build it into your own business—whether you sell apparel, beauty products, furniture, or anything in between.
What is virtual shopping?
Virtual shopping is a digital service where customers can browse and shop for products online as they would in a brick-and-mortar retail store.
Done well, it creates a unified shopping experience that connects online and in-store journeys. When ecommerce and POS data live on the same platform, every interaction feeds the same customer profile and inventory view.
An associate working in-store, at home, or at the head office can instantly connect with online customers via text, chat, or video. Through this real-time connection, shoppers can ask questions, virtually try on products, and get recommendations from a product expert while also browsing the entire online catalog of merchandise.
These interactions also generate rich data insights. Every virtual try-on, augmented reality (AR) view, and live chat helps retailers understand what customers engage with most—insights that feed directly into merchandising, inventory, and marketing decisions. Whether you sell apparel, beauty products, or home furnishings, virtual shopping turns browsing into measurable behavior that can inform smarter business moves.
Take Rebecca Minkoff, for example. On the fashion brand’s online store, shoppers can view handbags in 3D and place them in their space with AR. After interacting with the products this way, visitors were 44% more likely to add to cart and 65% more likely to purchase. “3D media makes for a much more interactive shopping experience. Customers can examine our products from every angle, including the option to view products in augmented reality, which helps them get a better sense of quality, size, and other details that matter,” says Uri Minkoff, cofounder and CEO of Rebecca Minkoff.
And for retailers, the human touch hasn’t disappeared, it’s just evolving. The same technology that powers virtual shopping now supports clienteling, where associates use data and AI tools to deliver personalized service at scale.
What is clienteling in retail?
Clienteling is the practice of building one-to-one relationships with shoppers, using data, personalization, and consistent communication to make every interaction feel like it’s with a trusted advisor, online or in-store. It’s the modern counterpart to remembering a regular’s favorite order or preferred style, only now powered by integrated data and AI.
Where virtual shopping focuses on how customers discover and interact with products, clienteling is the human layer that turns those interactions into lasting relationships.
In 2025, clienteling has become inseparable from virtual shopping. The same AI and AR tools that let shoppers visualize products also help retailers understand their preferences. Clienteling becomes scalable when it’s powered by an up-to-date customer view, so every associate works from the same history and inventory context.
Associates can use AI-powered segmentation to group customers by purchase behavior, let predictive systems suggest who to contact next, or draft personalized outreach messages automatically. And platforms like Shopify Inbox and Endear now surface these insights directly inside chat or customer relationship management (CRM) tools, bridging online and offline sales in one view.
For most retailers, this means clienteling is no longer reserved for luxury brands. Virtual assistants and sales teams can now deliver the personalized in-store experience online.
For example, a local boutique can use brick-and-mortar POS data to see what a customer last purchased in-store, follow up with new arrivals via text or email, and track engagement over time. When done right, clienteling turns every purchase into an ongoing conversation that boosts repeat business and lifetime value.
Getting started doesn’t require a full tech overhaul. Begin by capturing basic preferences at checkout, syncing that data to a clienteling app, and setting a weekly cadence for personalized outreach. Over time, this builds a data-informed rhythm that strengthens customer loyalty and gives associates a tangible edge in every interaction.
The difference between customer service and clienteling
Customer service and clienteling share the same goal—happy, loyal customers—but approach it differently. Customer service is often reactive, resolving issues after they happen. Clienteling is proactive, anticipating needs before the customer even asks. This difference matters more in a virtual shopping environment, where many interactions start online and brands need to decide whether they’ll simply respond to questions or actively build relationships.
| Function | Customer Service | Clienteling |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Reactive problem-solving | Proactive relationship-building |
| Trigger | Customer initiates contact | Retailer initiates contact |
| Focus | Immediate issue | Long-term loyalty |
| Tools | Ticketing systems, FAQs | Clienteling CRMs, AI recommendations |
| AI’s role | Chatbots automate responses | AI drafts messages, predicts next best actions |
This shift from reactive support to proactive outreach depends on having a single, accurate view of each customer. When order, product, and customer data are unified, every associate can see the full context of every interaction and tailor their outreach accordingly.
AI in retail is changing clienteling. Instead of waiting for a complaint, predictive tools flag when a high-value customer might need a reorder, restock alert, or style suggestion. Associates can then act first with a personalized message that feels human, not templated. Let’s look at how this changes the day-to-day work of retail associates.
What does virtual clienteling mean for retail associates?
For store teams, that shift to virtual clienteling has redefined what it means to sell day to day.
AI now helps associates with real-time recommendations, conversation prompts, and customer insights drawn from unified ecommerce and in-store POS data. Instead of manually tracking preferences, an associate can open a client profile, see a predictive list of products to recommend, and even let AI draft the first outreach message based on that full history.
Performance metrics have evolved, too. Many retail associates are now measured not only on transactions but on assisted conversions, outreach-to-appointment rates, and repeat-purchase contributions. A strong clienteling program gives them visibility into these metrics, turning what was once intuition into actionable performance data in one place.
On Shopify, these insights surface inside unified customer profiles in POS and clienteling apps, so associates can see impact and adjust quickly.
To prepare teams for this shift, retailers should:
- Train associates on digital outreach tools
- Create measurable goals by tracking average order value (AOV), repeat purchase rate, and customer engagement
- Recognize virtual influence and reward staff for digital touchpoints that lead to sales, not just in-store closings
When associates see that their digital relationships count toward success, clienteling becomes not just another system to learn, but the future of personalized retail.
Key technologies driving virtual shopping in 2026
The tools powering virtual shopping heading into 2026 go far beyond simple chat or video calls. Four core technologies now define how shoppers discover, evaluate, and purchase products:
- AI personalization and virtual try-on (VTO)
- Augmented reality visualization
- Virtual reality showrooms
- Livestream shopping
These virtual shopping technologies transform how customers shop online, bringing more of the in-store experience online and helping customers move from discovery to purchase.
Each solves a specific barrier to online buying. AI improves confidence in fit and selection, AR helps visualize scale and style, VR recreates the in-store feel, and livestreams restore the human interaction customers crave.
Below, we’ll explore how each pillar works and how small and midsize retailers can start testing and implementing these capabilities today using tools from the Shopify App Store and native features like Shopify POS and Shopify Inbox.
AI-powered personalization and virtual try-on (VTO)
AI is transforming product discovery into a custom experience. Virtual try-on (VTO) tools let shoppers preview how products look on themselves, while generative AI models simulate how fabrics drape, fabric movement, and realistic lighting across a range of body types.
This realism directly affects buyer confidence. Shoppers who can see how jeans fit their own proportions or how glasses frame their face are less likely to abandon carts or return products.
For retailers, AI personalization also powers product recommendations, matching previous purchase history, location, and seasonality to predict what a customer is most likely to buy next. When product and customer data are connected across online and in-store channels, these recommendations stay accurate no matter where a shopper browses or buys.
These types of data-driven experiences not only reduce friction but generate insight into what styles, sizes, and colors drive engagement.
How to start:
- Install a VTO app from your commerce platform’s app store and upload 3D product images you already use for AR or detailed product views.
- Run a pilot on one high-return category (like denim or eyewear) and monitor metrics such as add-to-cart rate, average order value, and return rate changes over four weeks.
Augmented reality for product visualization
Augmented reality shopping brings more of the in-store experience into a shopper’s space. It allows customers to “place” products into their environment using a phone camera, removing guesswork about size, scale, or color. A shopper can project a sofa into their living room, try on jewelry virtually, or test makeup shades, all without visiting a store.
Retailers like IKEA and Wayfair now pair AR visualization with generative design, letting users rearrange entire rooms and shop the results instantly. Beauty brands such as Sephora use AR try-on to show realistic color payoff and texture, increasing purchase confidence and reducing returns.
When AR experiences pull from a unified set of product and inventory data, shoppers see accurate options in real time and staff know interest aligns with what’s actually in stock.
How to start:
- Upload 3D or USDZ/GLB assets for your top-selling items.
- Add an AR viewer to product detail pages, then track usage metrics and conversion lift in your dashboard.
Use those insights to inform merchandising decisions, and to decide which products to feature next in virtual environments like VR showrooms.
Virtual reality for immersive stores & showrooms
VR takes immersion a step further by creating navigable, three-dimensional stores or showrooms that customers can explore via a headset (such as Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest) or through web-based VR (like WebXR).
Unlike AR, which layers products onto the real world, VR offers a fully immersive experience where shoppers can “walk” through virtual aisles, attend brand events, or interact with digital sales associates.
In 2024 and 2025, major platforms have adapted VR for commerce: Apple Vision Pro now supports retail environments, Meta Quest hosts branded popup stores, and WebXR enables lightweight browser-based VR for small businesses.
For categories such as furniture, appliances, or automotive accessories, where size, design, and configuration matter, VR gives customers the context they might be missing online.
For smaller businesses, full-scale worlds aren’t required. You can repurpose your 3D models from AR to create a single-room virtual showroom, host it online, and invite customers to explore new collections or limited editions. Even a lightweight VR experience can help you test demand for new assortments or layouts before making in-store changes.
How to start:
- Convert your existing 3D assets into a small virtual showroom using a web-based VR platform.
- Invite customers or influencers to private walkthroughs and track visit duration, wishlist activity, and appointment requests.
Livestream shopping for community engagement
Livestream commerce is a real-time, shoppable broadcast where a single host (or small hosting team) presents products to a large audience at once. Viewers can chat, react, and purchase directly from the stream via pinned products, in-video carts, and inventory callouts. It turns a product page into a live event—part demo, part Q&A, part drop.
Livestreams bring discovery, evaluation, and purchase together in one session. They add back human interaction to digital shopping and can increase engagement and time to purchase. They also generate rich behavioral data, like watch time, chat volume, clicks on pinned products, add-to-cart, and conversion per stream.
When sales are happening on all your channels, a connected commerce platform keeps inventory callouts and low-stock alerts accurate in real time during the stream.
How to start:
- Pick a platform (TikTok Shop is popular for SMBs) and theme (think “new arrivals try-on” or “gift picks under $50”). Script a 20–30-minute segment.
- Make it shoppable by connecting your catalog to your livestream or TikTok Shop integration and preloading pinned products. On Shopify, this means using your existing product and inventory data rather than managing separate lists.
- Make it measurable by tracking viewers, chat interactions, product clicks, conversions, and replay sales after the event.
Use insights learned from your livestream to refine future streams—testing different time slots, formats, and product mixes.
11 benefits of virtual shopping and virtual clienteling
Virtual shopping has grown from a sales experiment into one of retail’s most strategic growth drivers. By combining AI, AR, VR, and clienteling, retailers can now offer high-touch service at digital scale, creating richer experiences, better data, and more loyal customers.
When channels draw from the same product, customer, and inventory information, each touchpoint becomes more consistent and more valuable. Below, learn about 11 benefits of virtual shopping that reflect how small and midsize retailers actually sell today.
1. Human connection as your competitive advantage
Big-box marketplaces may win on price, but small retailers still win on relationships. Virtual clienteling tools let associates send personal recommendations, host live events, and follow up with tailored messages, all without losing the human touch.
For example, UNTUCKit is known for their highly knowledgeable team of store associates who give shoppers expert recommendations on style and fit. And thanks to UNTUCKit’s use of virtual clienteling, their online customers can now enjoy the same level of service.
2. More personalized experiences that lift sales and order value
AI-driven recommendations and live consultations now replace the old “customers also bought” widgets with dynamic, data-informed suggestions. Customers are encouraged to spend more when they see relevant items in real time. For small and midsize retailers, this makes limited merchandising space work harder—both online and in-store.
3. True omnichannel consistency
Virtual shopping links ecommerce, in-store, and mobile experiences. A shopper can discover products online, confirm fit through VTO, and buy in-store—or the reverse—without friction. This unified approach, sometimes called showrooming and webrooming, strengthens brand consistency. Shoppers see the same pricing, promotions, and availability everywhere.
4. Smarter inventory management and fulfillment
When customers explore products virtually, you can showcase extended assortments without keeping excess stock onsite. Retailers can lean on virtual showrooms and ship directly from warehouses. Connected inventory data makes it easier to see where stock sits and route orders from the best location.
5. Greater operational flexibility
Virtual selling tools free associates from selling from fixed locations. With clienteling apps, associates can serve customers through chat, video, or social media anywhere, keeping revenue flowing across time zones. This allows smaller teams to support customers even when the physical store is closed.
6. New retail roles and revenue streams
Virtual shopping creates new opportunities for associates to become stylists, livestream hosts, or online community managers, diversification that increases engagement and skill development. These roles can also unlock new revenue streams, from paid styling sessions to exclusive virtual drops.
7. AI-curated experiences powered by data
In 2026, personalization happens at every layer. AI analyzes preferences, browsing behavior, and previous purchases to deliver product combinations that feel handpicked. This builds on the human connection associates create and elevates customer experiences for more shoppers.
This becomes especially important when stores need to operate with reduced capacity. Gosha Khuchua, CMO of The Detox Market, shares his experience with virtual shopping: “Having our retail associates manage customer interactions both digitally and in-person with virtual shopping tools is something we’d been dreaming about but hadn’t had the bandwidth to execute until recently. Everyone—customers and associates—have said to me, ‘We hope this stays.'”
8. Stronger customer retention and loyalty
Clienteling keeps customers coming back through proactive, data-driven outreach. Predictive AI prompts associates to reengage at the right moment—before a product runs out or a new collection launches. Because all interactions feed the same customer profile, staff can pick up conversations seamlessly across channels.
9. Data-driven visibility into associate performance
With digital interactions tracked in real time, managers can measure effectiveness by engagement and outcome, not just transactions. Key metrics include assisted conversion, chat-to-sale ratio, and average response time. Review performance dashboards weekly to coach associates on what messages and formats yield the highest conversions.
10. Empowered, creative, and happier retail teams
Today’s associates use AI and clienteling apps to blend creativity with efficiency, producing video demos, building customer lists, and tracking performance autonomously. Empowerment leads to stronger retention and career satisfaction. For smaller teams, this can reduce manual work and give associates more ownership over results.
11. Associates as creators and brand ambassadors
Virtual shopping has turned many associates into content creators and micro-influencers. Livestreams, shoppable reels, and social Q&As let staff showcase products authentically, deepening customer trust.
Entrepreneurs can encourage this trend by offering training in on-camera presentation and content planning. When product information flows consistently into social and livestream tools, associates can focus on storytelling while the system handles details.
Examples of virtual shopping and clienteling in retail
Virtual shopping looks different for every brand, but the goal is the same: connect with customers more personally, wherever they are. These examples show how AI, AR, VR, and livestreaming each solve different buying barriers and how retailers of all sizes can adapt the same ideas.
Madison Reed uses AI-powered color matching to help customers find their shade
Hair-care brand Madison Reed uses AI to help customers find the perfect shade through their online color advisor and automated chat assistant.
The tool uses image recognition and generative algorithms to recommend shades based on skin tone and hair type, mirroring the guidance of an in-store colorist. With the AI assistant now managing a large portion of initial consultations, stylists are free for higher-touch services.
Brand takeaway: Even small beauty or apparel retailers can deploy AI chat or quiz tools to guide shoppers toward personalized fits or styles—and track conversion and satisfaction rates for every digital consultation.
Sephora uses AR mirrors to let shoppers try on makeup—in-store and at home
Sephora continues to lead in augmented reality with AR mirrors and mobile try-on features that let shoppers preview makeup shades in real time. In-store AR kiosks simulate lipstick, eyeshadow, and foundation tones, while the mobile app replicates the same experience at home.
Brand takeaway: AR builds instant confidence. Independent boutiques can pilot touchless AR mirrors or 3D product viewers for jewelry, eyewear, and a wide array of other categories by starting with a handful of hero products and expanding as they see results.
Carrefour x Retail VR recreate entire product aisles on the web
European retailer Carrefour partnered with Retail VR to launch immersive 3D environments that recreate full product aisles online. Shoppers navigate the virtual store through a headset or desktop browser, view 360-degree packaging, and add items directly to cart.
Brand takeaway: Virtual reality gives customers context they can’t get from flat photos and offers valuable data to retailers. Smaller brands don’t need full-store replicas to benefit—even a single-room virtual showroom can help test new assortments or layouts.
SHEIN’s “Live: Front Row” livestream turned shopping into storytelling
In spring 2024, SHEIN hosted a multi-hour livestream fashion show—Live: Front Row—broadcast across their app and social channels, making every look instantly shoppable. The event had wide global reach and drew engaged shoppers from around the world, illustrating how live commerce merges storytelling with conversion.
Brand takeaway: Livestreams humanize digital storefronts. Smaller brands can host product demos or Q&A sessions, capturing valuable metrics like viewer count, chat interactions, and replay sales to refine future shows.
Good American blends in-store try-ons with data-rich digital experiences
Inclusive fashion brand Good American uses technology to connect online and in-store shopping. Shoppers can see products on different body types online, then visit stores to try items in person with help from associates who have access to the same product and customer information.
