Chinese online shopping giant Alibaba now counts boyfriends and girlfriends as part of their offerings--sort of.
Alibaba's Taobao online shopping website created the unique offer as part of its marketing campaign to encourage customers to try its new virtual-reality shopping option, Endgadget reported.
To avail of the offer, customers need to download the Taobao mobile app and scan the provided QR code. They then choose either a "boyfriend," played by Chinese actor Yang Yang, or a "girlfriend," portrayed by actress Dilraba. Customers will then be able to "interact" with their chosen virtual partners via prerecorded scenes viewed through a VR headset, such as the Samsung Gear VR.
For those who aren't lucky to have their own VR headsets, regular videos of the stars were provided for their pleasure.
The campaign was held on May 20, a date that is considered as an unofficial Valentines Day in Internet culture, as the numerical notation "520" sounds like "I love you" when pronounced in Chinese.
However, the gimmick is not just all about experiencing love, be it just of the virtual kind, as it also served to encourage customers to try Alibaba's new VR video player developed by subsidiary GnomeMagic, CNET reported.
The player, which works on any VR headset and is linked with the Taobao app, lets users enter virtual shops where they can check and save products they like, as well as make purchases right there.
Alibaba isn't the only shopping site wanting to attract more customers to try its VR offerings. A few months back, online retail website Bay partnered with Australian department stir chain Myer to put up its own VR-based store.