AR For Retail Brands: How Retailers Are Using AR Apps In 2023
AR for retail has become an increasingly popular tool for retailers in 2023. A few years ago, augmented reality and virtual try-on tools were just a pie-in-the-sky idea. But today, AR apps are everywhere. From gaming, entertainment, education, retail, and digital marketing, augmented reality is used to improve user experience.
Many retail stores allow customers to try products in the virtual world by leveraging augmented reality. The immersive experience of augmented reality shopping helps retailers take online shopping to the next level. In this AR blog, we will talk about how augmented reality apps are transforming the retail industry and their prominent AR applications in retail.
How Is AR Transforming The Retail Industry?
Compared to traditional retail markets, online stores are organized, easily accessible, and have a global outreach. Let us understand how AR technology is transforming the retail industry by understanding the loopholes of traditional markets.
- Shopping in traditional retail markets requires physical interaction and an expensive setup.
- Traditional stores lag customization options for customers.
- Physical retail markets lack immersive experience compared to AR tech.
- Physical brick-and-mortar businesses have fixed hours, while AR-integrated online stores can be accessed 24*7.
Now that we have identified the loopholes of the traditional retail sector, here is how augmented reality retail solves them.
Easing Trials/Tryouts To Earn Better
Many in-store customers dread trials and tryouts as they are time-consuming and tedious. In addition, online shoppers skip shopping when they don’t get a chance to try products on themselves. This is where augmented reality in retail offers easy trails and tryouts. Here are a few examples:
- Clothing brands, like Adidas and ASOS, are using AR in retail to offer virtual try-on for garments. The tool uses AR and artificial intelligence to help you analyze a pair of shoes, jeans, or jackets on them before buying.
- The optical brand, Lenskart, scans users’ faces and superimposes digital images of glasses on it. This helps us analyze if the particular eyewear suits their style before they make their purchase.
- IKEA launched an augmented reality app, IKEA Place, to replace your existing furniture with IKEA products.
By applying virtual try-ons and augmented reality apps, these fashion brands have significantly increased their conversions. The contactless shopping experience helps retailers to grow tremendously in the competitive market.
Help Customers Customize Products
According to the Deloitte Consumer Research Report, around 36% of consumers prefer buying customized products. That’s why many retailers are offering augmented applications in retail. AR helps customers to try products in a real-world environment.
The app also allows customers to customize the products before buying. The clever use of AR for retail stores helps retailers attract more customers, foster brand loyalty, and gather actionable insights about shopper preferences.
Offering Global Outreach
Catering your products or services worldwide is challenging with traditional retail markets. AR can be used to offer anytime, anywhere shopping experiences to customers. Retailers that provide integrated in-store and digital experiences get an edge against the competition.
Simplified Social Media Content Creation
Many brands released shoppable AR filters on Snapchat to showcase products and engage customers. AR-powered filters allow users to take photos with virtual makeup looks and share them on social media. They can even purchase products through the app instantly without leaving the comfort of their homes.
These AR filters help brands connect with Gen Z customers, generate brand awareness, boost revenue, educate customers, etc. According to Snapchat, consumers use Snapchat AR filters over 6 billion times daily. Augmented reality apps like the SelfStylo makeup virtual try-on tool have a social media integration feature that makes the best AR apps available in the market.
Use Cases Of AR Apps In Retail
Now that you know how AR for retail is transforming the industry, here are a few use cases of the technology.
Space Visualization and Virtual Tour
Augmented reality allows customers to even take a virtual walk in a store or a property without paying a physical visit. This helps customers visualize the space, try products, and make their online shopping easier.
In-Store Displays
Some retailers use in-store displays to showcase their products to shoppers. Different fashion brands use AR displays to see how makeup, such as lipsticks, eyeliners, etc., would look on their faces.
AR Fitting Rooms
Fashion retailers like Timberland and Lily’s are using augmented reality in an exciting way. AR mirrors help visitors see how they would like different clothes. On the other hand, the Chinese apparel brand Lily’s is taking the AR experience up a notch with virtual fitting rooms. In addition, the fashion brand is offering AR displays on the windows of a store to make shopping fun for customers.
Augmented Reality – Future And Possible Challenges
Augmented reality is playing a critical role in the retail industry. It lets you try out clothes, check different makeup shades, and perceive furniture directly from your phone. As advanced technology is redefining shopping by allowing consumers virtually try on products, we can expect more brands to integrate the same.
The game-changing trend will keep on revolutionizing the eCommerce world and transforming how people shop. If you’re interested in adding AR for retail stores, schedule a free demo with the augmented reality experts of SelfStylo.