The digitalized world has greatly affected and changed communication habits, consumption habits, and shopping habits. When it comes to shopping, consumers now understand the shopping made on e-commerce sites and prefer the technology-supported and most realistic shopping experience. Brands, on the other hand, have started to apply technological adaptations in order to meet these demands of their consumers and to stand out in the great competition. Here, the AR shopping experience comes on the stage!
AR Shopping Integration
We can say that augmented reality is the integration of digital information in real-time with the user’s environment. AR apps for smartphones typically include the global positioning system (GPS) to pinpoint the user’s compass to detect the location and device orientation.
AR shopping, which enhances the shopping experience for commercial sites, is an easily integrated technology as long as users have compatible devices. The important point in this integration is the brand, the brand’s needs, and the expectations of the consumers. Especially, customers prefer to use more of the brands that provide AR shopping experiences. Areas such as real estate, cosmetics, accessories, and make-up are among the sectors that are very suitable for AR shopping integration.
Benefits of AR Shopping to E-Commerce
The biggest disadvantage of e-commerce for consumers may be the unavailability of testing products. On the other hand, making the shopping process both practical and enjoyable with a few clicks is one of the strengths of e-commerce that has rapid growth. Augmented reality technology has the potential to create a revolution in commerce even as it provides to eliminates the mentioned disadvantage of e-commerce, among many other benefits. It may even be possible for e-commerce businesses to reduce their return rates with this technology. It prepares the ground for consumers to try the products of the brand in the e-commerce store using the cameras of the devices. AR technology also provides consumers the shopping experience of the future by melting offline and online in physical stores with application areas such as interactive trial booths and easy payment platforms.
Saying that e-commerce needs AR shopping would be a good start to explain its benefits. AR shopping primarily creates an attractive and immersive shopping experience. Since it is a system that accelerates product discovery, it speeds up the consumer and provides a customer-friendly experience. It is economical to develop and apply for brands.
Customer Data and Analytics Improve Marketing Tactics
We can say that AR shopping will direct the e-commerce of the future. It is possible to say this by looking at the benefits of AR shopping. AR shopping improves customer data and analytical marketing tactics. As a technology that facilitates the tracking of the footprint of the customer, AR shopping offers great and useful data of the consumer in brands. In this case, it provides a great benefit for brands to develop outstanding marketing strategies.
Machine Learning Creates a Personalized E-Commerce Experience
In digital marketing, where machine learning has taken an important place, personalized data is always important. When determining a marketing strategy for e-commerce sites, personalized data in machine learning makes a big difference. AR shopping can include innovations that make a difference and personalized data while developing marketing strategies for brands.
Online Shopping Is Going Mobile
Online shopping is getting mobilized day by day. Considering that approximately 87% of shoppers make comparative shopping over the internet with their mobile devices, it is time to use the available tools to the fullest. With AR, brands can keep their customers in their ecosystem, both in-store and at home. It gives them a glamorous experience not just in the store, but also at home on their web & app usage.
AR Shopping Examples
Societies often easily adapt to developments that make life more practical, albeit at different speeds. Therefore, it becomes important for brands to act according to customer trends and to integrate innovations that will enable them to stand out in the competition without losing time. In this sense, it may be possible to observe that brands that invest in AR technology, which makes the shopping process both more interesting and easier, are already making a difference in the eyes of their customers.
IKEA
We can mention IKEA as one of these examples. IKEA stands out as one of the leading companies that have made an application that is pointed out all over the world by including AR technology in the shopping process. Thanks to the AR-integrated mobile application, IKEA customers can have an idea of how the products in the brand’s catalog will look in their living spaces with the help of the cameras of their devices. Thus, possible disappointments may occur after the completion of the purchase and the rates of returns and exchanges are reduced.
Starbucks
In a branch of Starbucks in Shanghai, there is an application where AR is in synchronization with a physical store. Accordingly, customers visiting the Starbucks branch can find visual details of the preparation of a coffee at certain points of the cafe through the cameras of their smartphones. Augmented reality technology provides the visualization in synchronization with space.
Adidas
Another example of AR Shopping‘s application areas in retail comes from Adidas. As part of the brand’s campaign, Virtual Deerupt, customers see that a shoebox is opening on their screen. And then they can examine the shoe that appears on the screen from different angles. Meanwhile, of course, the camera background remains constant in the real environment.
PulpoAR is developing integrated augmented shopping technology and AR commerce platforms for retail. Are you ready to take your customer experience with the help of AR technology?
