The one-stop shop for electronics, appliances and air conditioning products in Saudi Arabia, redsea.com, has launched the world’s first augmented reality (AR) online experience for home appliances. 

Offering customers the chance to experience shopping like never before, the all-new website steps into the future, bridging the gap between the real world and the digital space.  In an effort to bring shoppers closer to the products, redsea.com leverages the latest technology to transform a standard online browse into an immersive visual interactive experience.

According to consulting firm Kearney, the GCC e-commerce sector has grown from a US$ 5 billion value in 2015 to US$ 24 billion in 2020, becoming one of the world’s fastest growing markets in the world.  And the appetite in Saudi Arabia for the introduction of innovative technology is strong; tech-savvy millennials (18- to 34-year-olds) account for 40% of the country’s 34 million population.

With nine products currently available to browse in this way, including washing machines, dishwashers, gas cookers and air conditioning units from brands such as Toshiba, Bosch, Electrolux and White Westinghouse, new lines will be added in the coming weeks and months.

The website has been built from scratch, using the same frameworks as internationally acclaimed sites such as retail giant Walmart and Noon.  The WebAR technology allows customers to view the appliances in their living room or kitchen to see how the product would look and fit in their personal surroundings. 

The results are already speaking for themselves; the team has witnessed a 68% increase in the time spent on the page and the initial feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

Redsea.com has also introduced the tabby payment method, a new way to purchase online goods in Saudi Arabia, where shoppers can receive instant approval to pay in interest-free installments.  Redsea.com is the only Saudi electronics retailer offering this service, which comes with no fees to the customer.  The team forecasts that 35 to 40% of all transactions on the site will take place using tabby in the coming months.