View The Shoe: A Rich Experience

High-end retailer NeimanMarcus.com is the first major online retailer to use RichFX Inc.'sEnvironments e-commerce technology. The site is using the solution to showcase its new Manolo Blahnik Virtual Boutique. Blahnik is one of the most sought-after shoe designers in the world, says New York City-based RichFX.

RichFX Environments provides shoppers with "immersive and highly sensory" three-dimensional shopping. It creates a presence on the Web that allows consumers to "walk" through stores, browse, zoom in and interact with products. Through its proprietary compression technology, RichFX delivers this experience using computer-generated video, the company says.

To add to the realism, customers can shop by the simulated sunlight or moonlight shining through the online boutique's window. "It's e-commerce with a human touch," says Tal Kerret, chief executive officer and co-founder of RichFX.