Virtual reality could soon be a normal consumer experience in retail, and the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is preparing their students with the tools they need to excel with this technology. The college has announced that 50 of its seniors are graduating with a certification in ShopperMX, a proprietary software that allows retailers to ideate, evaluate and activate new concepts using 3D virtual store simulations. This is the first class of graduating virtual reality-trained students.
“At the Sam M. Walton College of Business we pride ourselves on being leaders of breakthrough retail innovations and educating the next generation of ingenious retail leaders,” said Sue Sedberry, Managing Director at the Walton College’s Center for Retailing Excellence in a statement. “We are thrilled to offer a certification program so students can enhance their academic experience through virtual reality simulations and develop a strong foundation on which to build their future career endeavors.”
The certification, available to students in merchandising and marketing, is obtained after students complete a virtual reality shelf management boot camp, or by enrolling in the college’s Category Management Special Topics course.
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The ShopperMX certification program was created at the Walton College and is offered through the University of Arkansas Center of Retailing Excellence, an internationally acclaimed center for retail studies. Training came via the college’s partnership with cloud-based virtual reality shopping and retail solutions provider InContext Solutions.
“By having the ShopperMX certification I feel I have a competitive edge over other college graduates that are vying for a career as a retail professional,” said Alejandro Zeballos, a Walton College senior majoring in retail. “The certification has given me the advanced knowledge I need to be of value to organizations that have a desire to use technology to be more forward-thinking and maintain or present themselves as a leader in the retail industry.”
