Place Furniture in Your Home with a Smartphone! Nakajima Introduces Web-Based 3D & AR Simulation

Nakajima Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture), a company engaged in the planning, manufacturing, and sales of furniture and interior goods, officially launched a 3D and AR simulation feature on its e-commerce site on May 10, 2025.

As the successor to a small, historic family-run furniture manufacturer, the company introduced this service with a focus on solving customer challenges. Using a smartphone camera, customers can place furniture in full scale via AR, view it in 360 degrees, and check delivery routes without needing to install a dedicated app. This offers a new shopping experience that resolves pre-purchase anxieties regarding sizing, delivery, and room compatibility often associated with large furniture purchases.

A Purchase Experience Without Regrets Due to rising raw material costs, logistics expenses, and overall living costs, the psychological barrier for consumers purchasing expensive furniture is increasing year by year. Specifically for large furniture, there is a growing trend of customers abandoning purchases due to concerns like "the size might not fit," "it won't pass through the entrance," "it might feel too imposing," or "the texture isn't what I imagined."

The company determined that providing a digital experience to try out furniture via smartphone is essential to encourage purchasing decisions. The goal is to build a purchasing experience where customers feel confident and satisfied, allowing them to easily check items online and ultimately verify the wood's texture and color in-store.

Three Main Features

- 360-Degree 3D View from Various Angles Customers can view furniture from any angle. It is possible to check the back, joints, wood grain, and sides, which are often hard to see in static images.

- AR Feature for Actual Size Verification (No App Required) By simply pointing a smartphone at a room, the furniture is displayed in its actual size. No dedicated app or external service registration is required. Built on Google's latest AR technology, it can be used directly from standard smartphones. Users can check for visual weight, aisle width, distance from the sofa, and table height before buying. *This feature may not be available depending on the smartphone model or OS version.

- Resolving Delivery Anxieties This AR feature can be used not only to visualize room placement but also to pre-check if the furniture can pass through "delivery routes" such as entryways and hallways. Customers can prevent delivery troubles like "it won't fit through the front door," "it can't go up the stairs," or "the room became too cramped after installation" prior to purchase.

For Retailers: Comprehensive Customer Service in Limited Space and Reducing Opportunity Loss In the limited floor space of physical stores, displaying every color variation of all products is often physically impossible. However, by utilizing this AR feature, even if a specific item is not on display, sales staff can provide comprehensive customer service using a few physical samples and a smartphone. Customers can directly experience the actual texture and color typical of an in-store visit, while sales staff can use AR to provide more realistic explanations of the product's back and detailed specifications. We believe this feature can significantly reduce opportunity losses when customers leave without buying because "the desired item wasn't on display," thereby contributing to increased sales for retailers.

Main Use Cases - Reliable Size Checks to Prevent "It Was Too Big When It Arrived..." Customers can pre-check the atmosphere when their favorite furniture is actually placed in their room.

- Understanding the "Visual Imposingness" in a Room Users can verify the overall balance of the interior and ensure the room doesn't appear cramped.

- Peace of Mind Regarding Outlets and Windows Prevents post-installation troubles such as "outlets are hidden and unusable" or "it overlaps with the window."

- Selecting Furniture That Blends Smoothly With Existing Interiors Customers can visualize beforehand how new furniture will harmonize with their current room.

- Checking Compatibility of Colors and Designs Users can confirm color tones and the overall atmosphere when placed next to existing favorite furniture, helping to create a unified room without mistakes.

- Maintaining a Spacious Area to Protect "Livability" Customers can check if there is enough space maintained between new items and existing furniture, like sofas and beds.

- Ensuring Smooth Daily Movement Users can visualize "daily flow paths" to comfortably pass between furniture without stress, ensuring a pleasant experience from the day it arrives.

- AR Delivery Simulation to Prevent "I Bought It but It Won't Fit..." Using the smartphone's AR feature, customers can pre-check the "pathway" until the furniture arrives in the room, including stairs and elevators.