Introduction to Augmented Reality in Retail
When it involves augmented reality (AR), a rising tide floats all boats. As consumers play games like Pokémon Go or promotional games, they turn into accustomed to the capabilities of AR using their personal technology. This creates a brand new audience of consumers ready and willing to be marketed and sold to using AR, provided that retailers can execute it effectively.
Current State of AR in Retail
AR’s use in retail is currently in its infancy. Fashion and cosmetics brands are ahead of the curve, with homeware and furniture brands not far behind. These verticals are in a lucky position, as consumers are already habituated to using their mobile devices to find and buy this stuff. Other FMCG-focused brands typically use AR for brand-awareness reasons, fairly than as a part of the acquisition funnel.
Investment in AR Technology
Despite its relative newness in retail, it’s clear that AR shopping is receiving serious investment from major players. In July, Snapchat acquired AR asset creation company Vertebrae, which makes a speciality of creating 3D digital assets of real-world items. This removes a barrier to entry for a lot of retail brands seeking to open AR storefronts. Google can also be investing within the technology on behalf of its promoting partners, working with Modiface and Perfect Corp to construct AR try-on tools into its app directly.
Retail Brands and AR
Major retail brands, resembling Ikea and Apple, are recognizing that AR might be used to grease the sales funnel. They have made inroads into AR product catalogs with apps like Place and Space10, which permit users to see what furniture would seem like of their homes. Tommy Campbell, digital design lead at Space10, says that the goal is to develop for platforms like AR spectacles, in addition to apps. Sam Watts, immersive partnerships director at MakeReal, explains that retail brands are also using XR to enhance their in-store retail environments, studying consumer behavior and testing out recent standees, store layouts, and shop front appeal.
The Future of AR in Retail
The extent to which AR will factor into future retail strategies is becoming increasingly clear. L’Oréal’s chairman and chief executive, Jean-Paul Agon, said that the acquisition of Modiface was "a significant milestone within the transformation of L’Oréal right into a digitally augmented beauty company." As consumer technology evolves, AR’s place within the retail landscape will only turn into more distinguished. Tom Ffiske, a VR and AR marketing expert, argues that AR is entering mainstream retail behavior because of this of web AR tools that remove the effort of downloading specific apps from consumers.
The Artifice of Retail AR
Ffiske explains that the longer term is web-based augmented reality, which allows for more phones to be accessed via the net browser, removing the necessity to download an app. This also enables tracking of tourists’ experiences, providing invaluable engagement statistics and sales funnel data. For brands seeking to go deep on AR in retail, this performance focus is important. Despite all of the work that has gone into lowering the bar for entry, Ffiske says that augmented reality remains to be an afterthought for brands throughout the marketing process.
Collaboration and Adoption
Some of the most important players within the space are collaborating on products that can encourage the adoption of AR more widely. Facebook is working with Pokémon Go developer Niantic on a 1:1 recreation of the actual world. Watts explains that after what is feasible today through mobile devices is accessible in a tool close enough to the dimensions and weight of glasses, allowing for hands-free operation with enhanced superpowers beamed on to retinas, then we will truly see what can be possible as we traverse all over the world.
Conclusion
It remains to be too early to declare that AR will turn into part and parcel of the retail experience. While most indications are that it has a spot for specific verticals, that may not to say that we will or should expect FMCGs or other consumer-focused sectors to leap into the space. What is obvious, nevertheless, is that buyers are greater than completely satisfied to try augmented reality as a part of the acquisition process for a lot of their most high-end or luxury items – and that brands are only too willing to accommodate them. As the technology continues to evolve, it’ll be exciting to see how AR transforms the retail landscape and provides recent opportunities for brands to attach with their customers.
