The Aussie start-up that is pushing the world’s furniture industry into the 21st century
- Written by Tess Sanders Lazarus
In a world of personalisation, Aussie start up, StyleFit, has launched its revolutionary software that is used by furniture retailers to enable their shoppers to view furniture items in their own home using their mobile device.
Brendon Ha and Benjamin Gregory are the co-founders of, and masterminds behind, StyleFit, an interactive platform that allows furniture retailers and brands to deliver immersive 3D product experiences for their customers.
“Today’s customers have higher visual expectations than ever before. What Brendon and I found is that the furniture industry was simply falling behind, and was in desperate need of a shakeup. We took on the challenge and believe our innovation will help furniture retailers capture an exciting new audience and facilitate more sales,” Gregory said.
“The idea of StyleFit came to Brendon and I when we were both struggling to make a decision when shopping for furniture. It was incredibly frustrating and time consuming when the showrooms did not have the particular fabric or furniture piece we wanted to purchase to complement our freshly renovated homes.
“Staff would lug out a big book of fabrics and flip through catalogues to go over the measurements, but it would still be difficult to imagine what it would look like in our living spaces. Especially when spending thousands on a sofa, investing into a piece is stressful when you don’t know for sure if it’ll complement and fit in with your existing furniture and fixtures in your home.”
According to Ha, it wasn’t any easier searching on the web as online furniture stores only had static pictures to show their customers from staged scenes in digitally generated rooms, which look drastically different to their own living spaces.
“We decided we wanted to empower shoppers to actively search for furniture and better visualise what they’re looking to buy, in their own living space. This would help people make faster and more informed purchasing decisions that they could be confident in,” Ha emphasised.
“That is when StyleFit was born. We knew we could transform how people shop for furniture by implementing augmented reality to better visualise exactly how the furniture would be suited for the shopper’s home.
“In fact, we think StyleFit will suit many products, not just furniture. Just imagine being able to visualise through augmented reality how wall art or a floor lamp will look in your own home. Our technology is going to completely revolutionise how people shop.
“It is going to help people shop - more!”
According to Ha, his experience in the sales and marketing industry, combined with Benjamin’s career as an experienced 3D render for large residential and commercial building clients, meant the two were the perfect pair to take on this project.
“We knew we could instantly leverage our expertise in 3D rendering for large buildings, transforming our existing technology to provide customers with enhanced shopping experiences, and simultaneously improve digital sales for furniture retailers. It was well and truly time for the furniture industry to step into the 21st century, and we were happy to be the guiding force behind the industry overhaul,” Ha explained.
“The fashion industry, automotive industry, and even the visual arts industry are all utilising the latest technology to give their shoppers the opportunity to visualise their products in their lives. Whether it is trying on the hottest sneakers through your iPhone, or changing out the features on your dream car through an interactive website, customisation and visualisation are key selling points for customers.
“Augmented reality is the new shopping tool of the century giving consumers the ability, power and confidence to shop for their home without leaving the home. StyleFit gives businesses and brands the capability to offer this functionality to their customers.
“At StyleFit we are giving retailers the tools to allow their customers to customise anything. Interactive augmented reality for ecommerce is a new standard that is proven to increase sales, reduce costs and improve your customer experience. We deliver an unrivalled product experience in the furniture industry that performs.”
According to Gregory, through one easy-to-use platform, StyleFit’s photorealistic rendering service can turn a 3D model into high quality visual content that be used across all of a brand’s platforms.
“Our innovative software allows retailers to manage and publish their products in 3D. It lets any shopper fully engage with the products in 3D and augmented reality. We are proud of our technology and of its ability to give retailers’ customers a seamless experience and transition from their online store to augmented reality,” Gregory continued.
“If a customer is browsing online or in-store they can now use their iPhone or Android device to see a lounge that takes their fancy, an irresistible dining table, or a statement bedhead in their own home. It completely takes the guesswork out of making sure a furniture item physically fits in the space and suits the overall style of your home.
“I have been there before. Spending an hour assembling a flat pack from hell, only to discover that it did not suit the spot I had intended it for. StyleFit is ensuring this is a problem no Aussie, or indeed anyone, has to face again.”
StyleFit is rolling out globally with retailers already adopting the technology in Australia and overseas. From April, Australians will be able to acquire a slice of ownership in the fast growing platform through an equity crowdfunding campaign which is being undertaken by highly respected market leader, Birchal. The campaign will support the business’s growth as it continues to onboard national and international retailers and introduce new functionality and features.
