What’s Next for Retail AR in 2020?
This year, the number of customers using AR to shop both online and in brick-and-mortar stores will hit the 100 million mark. Figures like these cannot be ignored: 32% of retailers already plan on adopting augmented reality within the next three years, hoping to provide a fully immersive customer experience.
“The majority of our clients start with the integration of 3D product visualization into their websites. And now they are eager to try AR as a way to enhance the experience even more. AR combines the best features of in-store and online shopping, bringing together the comfort and timeliness of the first and the emotional engagement and interactivity of the second,” says Kosta Popov, CEO of Cappasity. “Retailers turn to AR as a remedy for the pain points on the CX roadmap.”
It’s important to remember that AR is not there just for the extra oomph. Like any tech solution, it’s meant to solve problems. To prove that augmented reality is more than an ornamental shopping feature, we are listing the inconveniences consumers encounter in their daily lives below and how AR can help solve them..
Scenario #1 How to visualize products in context
Before making a purchase decision, customers visualize the product in a physical environment to see if it fits. Will that sofa look good in that corner or is it too bulky? Does this lamp go with the color scheme of the bedroom? Getting answers to questions like these would be challenging without a trip to a store — and even then, there are no guarantees. AR technology presents an elegant solution. IKEA’s Place app, for example, allows clients to ‘place’ IKEA products in their space in scale to get a better idea of how it will look in that specific context.
Scenario #2 How to try on colors and avoid hygiene issues
The most obvious inconvenience of shopping for cosmetics is the inability to try on the color. Shopping for a red lipstick? It’s not that simple. From fire engine red to maroon to ruby, there are thousands of different shades to choose from. To solve this very problem, L’Oréal has partnered with Amazon to enable clients to try on lipsticks and find the right shade by using their phone or computer cameras. The L’Oréal and Amazon partnership also benefits those who prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar stores. With this digital try-on solution, customers won’t have to use the same samples that have already been used by strangers, thus eliminating common hygiene issues.
Scenario #3 How to create viral content for social media
Shopping in good company is a great experience. A trip to the mall often becomes an excuse to meet up with friends and family members. But what if you are browsing online stores? You can’t exactly invite friends to join you. But with AR filters gaining ground on Instagram, you can! For example, Carlings, known for its already sold out digital fashion collection, released a T-shirt that can be adorned with various designs that appear on Instagram through augmented reality filters. You point the IG camera to the t-shirt and voilà — a design appears. You can then share your results with friends and see what they came up with.
AR has multiple uses for retail in 2020. The list is already long and it keeps growing. If you want to find out how AR boosts customer engagement and reduces returns, while giving the shopping experience a personal touch, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Also: Don’t forget to check out the Cappasity Hologram Demo (AR)!
