Augmented Reality and Retail – a match made in the digital world (Virtual Shopping)

Bring the store to the phone

AR allows retailers to reach potential customers in any geography or time zone, without having their physical store there. For example, Alibaba’s Buy+ brings the entire virtual mall directly to consumers’ phones. Shoppers can browse through various stores and make purchases. It gives a virtual platform for sellers without a physical store, but also provides a simulated in-store experience for retailers who may not have a store in a particular market.

Make it real, without the physical

Take the above experience of buying a TV. Take it one step forward. This time Solomon is at home browsing through the virtual store. He chooses a TV and checks how it looks in his living room – not wholly real, but a near realistic experience. Now imagine this experience across products and brands. L’Oreal’s MakeupGenius app allows customers to see how different makeup products will look on them before buying. The Ikea Place app allows shoppers to place virtual 3D versions of furniture in their homes to see how they would look.

Elevating the in-store experience

While AR brings the feel of in-store to online shopping, it also offers new possibilities to enhance the physical, in-store experience. Makers’ Experience by Nike is helping avid runners to create their own custom shoe design, and have it made for them then and there.

Deloitte’s Retail Trends for 2018 talks about AR as central to the transformation of retail – reimagine the store, elevating the experience and transforming the business. The key advantages of AR in Retail include:

• Increasing store visits
• Improving conversion
• Increasing loyalty
• Reducing returns
• Optimizing human resources
• Gathering insights into customers’ purchase behaviours

What’s your take on this?

Image source: Cisco

‍