Retailers have found various ways to leverage augmented reality.
Augmented reality is no longer the future, it is now, especially in retail.
In today’s business world, everything is connected. Augmented reality is one of the biggest rising trends today. With many developments in this technology in recent years, this technology has become less fictional and more of a reality in today’s society.
One of the biggest ways that the business world is adopting this technology is through retail. Retailers are leveraging this technology to attract potential prospects and customers do deliver a stronger customer experience.
According to a Digitalbridge report, almost 70% of consumers expect retailers to launch an AR tool within the next 6 months. However, this is not the case because almost two-thirds of retailers haven’t used AR yet. If you are one of these companies, here are some ways that you can leverage augmented reality as a retailer.
Offering the Customers a Chance to Try
Augmented reality gives shoppers the opportunity to try out new products before purchasing. This can significantly improve your customer experience. Retailers in various industries put in massive amounts of effort to give shoppers the chance to try out their products in-store; augmented reality is a great strategy that can drive more shoppers to your store.
For example, fashion giant Uniqlo has leveraged LCD mirrors in their stores that allow shoppers to see the clothes that they’re trying on in different colors. This can increase the flow of your fitting rooms. Lego stores now allow shoppers to scan boxes with kiosks and see a 3D projection of the completed set.
Augmented reality also allows shoppers to try the product without having to step into the store. For example, furniture brands such as Ikea have developed apps that give customers the opportunity to see how the products would look like in-home before going to store.
Home and lifestyle brands such as Magnolia Market also leverage this technology to view products within their home. This can lead to better customer experience for the shopper because they have a more driven mindset when they are in the store as well as extending their reach to more prospects.
Leveraging Augmented Reality into Your Product
Many retailers have begun to incorporate AR into their actual product, enhancing both the customer experience as well as the overall brand image. For example, Adidas has leveraged the technology in one of their new line of sneakers, which gave customers access to a video game through the tongue.
After purchasing the shoe, customers can hold the tongue of their shoe up to their webcam and scan a code that leads to a virtual world where they can use their shoe as a controller.
Another company that’s used AR in their product is BIC. BIC uses AR in their BIC Kids Drawybook, where children transport their pictures into a virtual world. By incorporating AR into your product, you can create a never seen before experience for your customers.
Augmented reality has become more prominent in our society, especially for retailers. With this technology, retailers have found various ways to connect with their customers such as enhancing their customer experience by letting them test out products through AR and giving them a better product experience.
