Augmented Reality – A Trend in Retail

MA Emma Kocmanek Dikyova, DipArt
30. 4. 2018
Minut čtení: 2

Aktualizováno: 21. 5.

for Fashion Retail Magazine 3–4/2018

Augmented Reality (AR) is a rapidly evolving, highly intuitive tool for customers that is gaining increasing popularity. AR is already gradually changing the face of fashion distribution as well as the presentation and sale of new products. In the near future, we can expect its growing influence on the retail sector as a whole, potentially redefining it completely. Everything from fashion shows to buying home accessories will undergo transformation.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality uses existing environments (objects, spaces, the body), overlaying them with one or more layers of virtual information. It differs from virtual reality, which does not contain any real-world elements.

AR requires interaction with the real environment. It’s essentially a virtual information layer “overlaid” onto the physical world, helping create interactions between the two. Virtual and real worlds coexist harmoniously, giving users (customers) access to entirely new information and enhanced natural surroundings that serve as tools to enrich their daily activities and experiences.

Retailers can use AR to enhance the shopping experience and increase conversion rates. Moreover, investing in this technology can reduce customer errors when purchasing, significantly lowering return rates.

Examples From Practice – How AR Can Transform the Customer Experience

Furnishing Your Home

…IKEA recently introduced an AR app that allows you to place furniture directly in your home. The app, now easily downloadable on smartphones, can scan your room and insert furniture pieces right where you want them. It addresses not only aesthetics but also size, color, materials, and other suitability factors. This is one of the most original and intuitive applications of AR in retail to date.

Virtual Fashion

Similar retail applications are emerging, from virtual clothing try-ons to makeup and accessories. Tech companies are developing solutions that support all these scenarios—from smart mirrors in physical stores to Sephora’s virtual makeup app or try-ons for watches and bracelets. The list is long, and it's already clear that the AR trend will continue to expand and deepen.

Instructions – Tell Me How to Use This Product

Unlike standard advertising techniques that flood us daily, AR offers entirely new ways to capture a customer’s attention. For instance, using a smartphone and AR, a customer can instantly access all known information about a product (practical use, recipes, instructions), or experience AR in presentations, often in a fun and engaging way. These presentations provide a competitive advantage by delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Transformation Is Inevitable

AR allows us to influence customers' emotional decision-making more effectively, enhancing not only the shopping experience but also remote engagement through smart apps. Recent studies show that 69% of customers in developed markets (USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Benelux, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and others) expect some form of AR during their shopping experience.

Sooner or later, customers in other markets will come to expect the same level of service. This transformation—especially in retail—now seems inevitable.

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