The interior of the 3D store can be as simple or as complex as desired. However, an effective approach is to define the on-line store as an exact duplicate of the local brick-and-mortar store. The on-line store then serves implicitly as "familairization training" for shoppers; when they visit the brick-and-mortar store after browsing the on-line store, they will already be comfortable with the store and its physical layout. The reverse is also true.

Another approach is to use the 3D virtual store as a test bed for proposed changes to the brick-and-mortar store. By evaluating proposed layout changess on-line (as measured by percent sales changes or direct customer feedback), expensive mistakes in brick-and-mortar might be avoided.

For struggling ".com" companies with no brick-and-mortar presence, the sales impact of a 3D virtual store can be the difference between success and failure of the company.

Our hypothetical office supply store is very simple, consisting of two main showrooms each containing a single product. The higher value products, office tables, occupy the main showroom, while the lower value products, file cabinets, are relegated to the back showroom. As in a real store, we can design the layout to have shoppers enter at any point. So, of course, we design the 3D model to have them initially enter the showroom containing the higher value products.