Virtual reality combined with high-tech shopping was available over the weekend in Shanghai. An event sponsored by E-commerce giant Alibaba gave shoppers equipped with special headsets the sense of being in a real store as they looked for things to buy. The shoppers could select and purchase their goods with a simple touch of their headsets.

Virtual reality combined with high-tech shopping? That was the case over the weekend in Shanghai.

A number of online vendors that sell handbags and clothing are expected to use the technology during the upcoming Double 11 shopping festival.But it may take time for shoppers to adapt to the virtual reality technology.

“If I were to buy clothes, I would have to try them on with the technology. And there were many demonstration methods that were beyond my imagination. Such as a model show. This is very different compared with looking at photos,” said a shopper.

“I think it was very original and three-dimensional. And it is different from shopping online. But I would prefer physical shops, as you cannot touch the goods, or the materials you buy,” said another shopper.