From virtual shopping to 3D visits: Monaco businesses go virtual

The pandemic has forced many sectors to rethink their business model. And slowly but surely, Monaco adapts.

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With a single 3D camera, Lucas Brito can take you around the world, regardless of your device. “Using a camera with three lenses and three lasers, we scan about 100 points to analyze the space,” explains the director of Virtual Reality International Monaco. “In post-production, we then process our work through software that create a 3D model where navigation is possible.” For Lucas Brito, who has created 105 virtual tours in eight different countries, it’s all a question of details: “It allows the user to enter into an aesthetic experience,” he says.

Long-distance apartment hunting

The real estate sector has also had to bow down to the virtual era. In Monaco, Stefano Coletti, real estate negotiator at Immobilia 2000, an agency which has had roots in Monaco for over 40 years, is betting it all on 360-degree immersive house visits. “Clients can walk around the apartment or the house, courtesy of a virtual reality headset and a remote. It’s a fun way of learning more about the set up of the house,” he says. Virtual reality is also a timesaver, considering that “buyers visit an average of 6 to 10 houses” before sealing the deal.

Virtual shopping sprees

What if instead of online shopping, you tried the rather more avant-garde virtual shopping? The Sabrina Monte-Carlo boutique now gives clients the option to have a virtual shop visit. “We want them to feel as if they are right here in the shop with us. They are free to wander around our world,” explains Carla Valerio, head of the Lalique and Arts de table shop on Boulevard des Moulins. “We give them visual or sensory cues to help them get a better idea of the product,” she says.

Business goes virtual but stays personable

The business world now relies almost exclusively on videoconferencing, which has its perks, says Alexis Lanari, co-funder of Thoody Consulting. “Calls abroad were already done through videoconferences. And today we also use these apps to exchange with our clients and partners,” he explains. Thanks to the video, which still leaves space for non-verbal communication, the relational aspect of business can still be fostered. “Once a week, we organize a virtual coffee break to maintain a team dynamic”, he says. Going virtual does not have to mean compromising relationships.