The online retailer has launched AisleOne, claimed to be a world-first virtual shopping experience and intended to transform the way Australians shop for food and groceries online.

Aussie Farmers Direct CEO Keith Louie says AisleOne does away with the cluttered search boxes, detailed product lists and confusing text-based navigation that are typical of online shopping sites.

“We wanted to make an app that completely reimagined the online shopping experience, but to do so, we had to throw out all of the standard e-commerce conventions and start from scratch,” he said.

“AisleOne is the result: a true virtual shop, optimised for touchscreens, that makes customers feel like they’re physically standing in a supermarket.”

AisleOne displays the Aussie Farmers Direct product range in a virtual store and lets customers shop in three simple steps: “scroll and stroll” through the virtual shop, “click and pick” products off the shelf for a closer look, and “drag and drop” items in to your basket.

“AisleOne has been designed so that someone with little or no computer experience can pick it up and start using it immediately,” Mr Louie said.

“Browsing through each virtual aisle is as easy as swiping left or right across the screen. You can tap on any item to reveal detailed product information, and adding items to the shopping cart is as simple as dragging it down into the shopping trolley.”

Mr Louie says bricks-and-mortar retailers have been refining the shopping experience for centuries, creating store layouts and product displays that excite customers.

“AisleOne is the first online shopping platform to take the best aspects of physical retailing and recreate them digitally. It’s such a fun and engaging user interface: we expect it to drive a new wave of customers to the business who prefer the app’s simplified yet thoroughly immersive approach to online shopping.”

The app keeps key aspects of online shopping tucked away discreetly. A search button in the top left corner enables customers to search for items by text, with results appearing instantly as the search term is typed. Customers can jump to specific aisles using the category buttons on the top bar, and also schedule items to be automatically ordered weekly or fortnightly.

The launch of AisleOne also marks Aussie Farmers Direct’s entry into the digital marketing space. It is currently in talks with a number of businesses to white-label the AisleOne platform, opening the company up to new revenue channels outside of the online food delivery business.