2 Ways Augmented Reality Is Changing The Way We Buy Things in Retail Stores
If you’re familiar at all with the latest trends in offline retail sales, there’s a good chance the word “apocalypse” comes to mind.
If not, check this out.
Many retail business owners are struggling.
This is perhaps no more apparent than in the United States, where countless shops and malls have either drastically downsized or closed altogether.
The reason?
Well, it’s difficult to find a sole culprit, although many think Amazon is the biggest reason.
What’s clear, though, is that people around the world are shopping differently.
And the growth in e-commerce is at the heart of this change.
But, what’s a brick-and-mortar business owner to do?
It should be noted here that, although the rise of e-commerce is a force, consumers have not given up on in-store shopping.
Not at all.
In the US, many consumers still prefer to shop offline.
However, when considering that 90% of consumers now use their phones while shopping in stores, more and more retailers are realizing that in order to survive — or thrive — as a retail business, combining the best of online and offline is ideal.
And this is where the power of Augmented Reality — and OVR — comes in.
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By now, you might have a sense for what Augmented Reality is — a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.
Or, simply put, a digital overlay on top of the real world.
At OVR, we are excited to leverage AR to help bridge the gap between the online and offline consumer shopping worlds.
But, wait:
How interested do you think customers already are now in having AR as apart of their retail shopping experience?
Well, actually, it’s more than just an interest!
According to a Business Insider report:
75% of customers now expect retailers to offer an AR experience.
That’s 3 out of every 4 people!
But, one question to ask here is: why?
Let’s discuss some ways Augmented Reality (AR) is changing the way people buy things in retail stores…
And perhaps this can shed light on why many customers may expect this to be apart of their in-store shopping experience.
Let’s buy a suit.
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FIRST: Use AR To “Try Before You Buy”
Augmented reality presents huge opportunities for fashion retailers. Imagine interactive mirrors that allow potential customers to “try on” clothing and evaluate a potential purchase from all angles. This could be something even “window shoppers” would enjoy while in public spaces, prior to stepping foot inside a store.
Take a suit purchase, for example.
One of the challenges for some customers when it comes to purchasing dresses or suits could be the amount of time it takes.
In many cases, the desire to save time would drive the person online.
But, what about in this situation?
How do men feel about purchasing an entire suit online?
Augmented reality could bridge this gap, with an interactive headset or app that already knows the potential customers’ measurements — and favorite colors or occasion — and a range of suits could easily be “tried on.”
MTailor is a good example.
Once a shopper narrowed down their choices to one or two suits, then they could try on the actual suits in store. They could even communicate with the attendants via the app.
Wouldn’t it be cool to to use an app to “try products” before you buy them?
This could be suitable :) for other things, too.
You could “try” a vase being placed on that new table you bought before you actually went to the store to pick it up at a sweet in-store pickup discount.
Can you think of any other examples AR could be used in this situation?
SECOND: (Deep) Dive Into The Suit Product Details
Now, imagine you’ve narrowed down your list of potential suits to two —
a grey one and a blue one.
You’ve got the gray suit on, and it feels good.
But, what if you could know more about the person who made your suit?
What if you could know more about the material that was used?
And what if you could learn all of this with the push of a button or two.
Making it easy for shoppers to learn specific information about products is proving to be one of the best use cases for augmented reality.
It’s quite normal for shoppers to use their phones while in stores.
Haven’t you been in store shopping — found a product you potentially wanted — but because you didn’t know much about it, you decided to Google it?
This is a demand that augmented reality can meet.
In fact it’s already being employed in this manner by retailers.
So, in the case of that suit, what could you do?
Well, you take your app, highlight a suit in the store, and immediately a video pops up where the tailor in Vietnam shares his story & process for suit-making.
You push another button and get a simple-to-understand breakdown on what material the buttons are made from…
And, perhaps you glance at how far your suit traveled — and when it actually arrived in-store…
With AR, a suit quickly can become much more than a suit!
But could even more be done to change how people buy things in stores?
The OVR Difference with respect to AR
Now, here at OVR, our mission is to not only meet the demand of shoppers but also to introduce more value for end-users and businesses.
We’re on a mission to create a new standard in augmented reality experiences.
At the heart of this is the OVR ecosystem, underpinned by a grid of hexagons covering the whole earth’s surface. These hexagons are called OVRLands, and this forms the foundation for economic incentives that myriad stakeholders can receive by participating in the OVR ecosystem.
But what are some unique ways in which OVR can help retailers?
Well, remembering the challenges facing retailers these days, why not create more incentives for shoppers or potential customers to earn rewards or have rich experiences?
How this could be done with OVR:
- The user is invited to access the store through augmented reality experiences located in strategic areas or near the store itself.
- Or, interactive gaming solutions provided by brands creating sponsored ads through a decentralized advertising platform that offers 3D experiences for potential shoppers.
Retailers could leverage the OVR platform to (re)engage shoppers, identify new customer segments and more…
All while giving customers the kinds of experiences that enhance convenience, personalization, rewards and overall connection with their particular brand.
Despite the challenges facing retailers, we here at OVR believe the future is bright!
Want to see what we’re working on?
Visit us here and download the OVR app today.
About OVR
OVR is a cutting edge AR platform powered by the Ethereum Blockchain. OVR makes it possible for users provided with a mobile device or a smart glass to live interactive augmented reality experiences customized in the real world. OVR can be defined as a new standard in augmented reality where geographical experiences are based on the user’s position.
Website: https://www.ovr.ai/#intro
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