# Backyard Design Kiosks Canadian Tire's Patio Builder Tool Helps Consumers Visualize with VR By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2016-01-26 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/patio-builder References: [retail-innovation](http://retail-innovation.com/canadian-tires-digitally-enabled-store/) & [canadiantire](http://www.canadiantire.ca/en.html) In its 140,000-square-foot space, the [Canadian Tire](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/manscaped-1) store in Edmonton is home to more than 100 digital screens, including an interactive patio builder. The kiosk can be identified as 'Canada's Dream Backyard & Patio Builder,' which devotes half of the screen to a product catalog and another half where these items can be moved around on a touchscreen floorplan. While many retailers might only offer these features, Canadian Tire takes retail technology to the next level. After a design has been visualized on-screen, consumers can strap on a connected [Oculus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dyson-demo-vr) [Rift](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emirates-vr-experience) headset and see their creation come to life in virtual reality before their eyes. Other interactive in-store stations inside this Canadian Tire location include a car simulator for different seasonal conditions and a custom jersey maker. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.9/10 - Popularity: 8% | Activity: 42% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Virtual Reality in Retail:** The use of VR in retail spaces to visualize and personalize products may become a common trend. - **Interactive Kiosks:** Retailers may continue to develop interactive kiosks that enable personalized product visualization. - **Omnichannel Experience:** The integration of digital and physical shopping experiences may create an omnichannel trend in retail. ### Who This Affects Most - **Retail:** Retailers can leverage emerging technologies to create immersive and personalized shopping experiences. - **Home Improvement:** Home improvement retailers can continue to develop innovative and interactive tools to help customers visualize and customize their spaces. - **Automotive:** The integration of simulators and customization tools in automotive retail spaces may potentially create a new trend. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Spatial Computing Kitchen Designers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lowes-style-studio.md) - [Immersive Spatial DIY Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lowes-style-studio-for-apple-vision-pro.md) - [AR-Powered Furniture Visualizers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ikea-kreativ.md) - [Immersive Banking Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cibc-experience-centre.md) - [AR Retail Kiosks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/big-digital-and-deepar.md) - [Metaverse Tech Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dyson-demo-vr.md) - [AI-Powered Mixed Reality Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kreativ.md) - [VR Home Design Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/envisioneer.md) - [AR-Based Store Replicas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lowes-1.md)