Numbers Game: US retailers are using more advanced product imagery than those in Europe

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the United States seems to understand this more than Europe.

A new study found that US retailers and brands are using more advanced product imagery than those in Europe, with 73% of those in the US employing context-rich imagery—defined as detailed and accurate product shots—as opposed to 52% of their European counterparts, according to Nfinite data in partnership with Coresight Research.

• And 74% of US companies employ image performance testing—A/B tests—as opposed to 60% of those in Europe.

According to the study, 42% of US brands and retailers have made investments in 3D and CGI technologies compared to 39% of those in Europe. Plus, 47% of European brands and retailers lack knowledge of CGI product visuals, compared to 38% of those in the US.

“CGI and 3D image creation are critical for online product visualizations, and we are starting to see the real impact they can have on driving sales conversion, reducing the costs to create and manage product visuals, improving speed-to-market and reducing product returns," Coresight CEO and founder Deborah Weinswig said in a statement.

However, it’s not entirely lost on European companies that product image creations are valuable for online merchandising, given 65% of European brands plan to invest more in interactive images, compared to less than half in the US (48%).