Jump on the bandwagon: Augmented reality is already here

If you are a retailer, the market is already very competitive for you, and you constantly need to be at the forefront of the fast-paced eCommerce world.

Online shopping is rapidly rewriting the retail market as we know it. The eCommerce businesses will take after the AR trend sooner or later because the see-now-want-now mindset transforms retail. Augmented Reality (AR) bridges the gap between an offline store and online shopping experiences. People realized this gap even more during the pandemic when the stores almost shut and the only option to experience the product was online. 

According to PwC's Global Consumer Insights survey, in-store was the go-to shopping preference, with 47% of customers choosing physical stores to shop for non-food items, compared to 30% who shopped via mobile phone. Since the pandemic, mobile phone shoppers have increased to 45%, per the PwC's report. 

The benefits of AR

The major challenge of online shopping is that the individual doesn't get to experience the product. But the closest experience they can get is through Augmented Reality. According to a Google survey, 66% of people are interested in using augmented reality technology for help when shopping. Google found that 6 in 10 people "say they want to be able to visualize where and how a product could fit into their lives." AR-driven stores provide their customers with lively and immersive shopping experiences with 3D visualizations, virtual try-on, and product demos. The audience gets to see what they are truly shopping for - from the comfort of their homes. 

Better Engagement

If you need to drive your sales up, there's no better way than engaging with your customers and giving them a lively feel of your product. And when they can interact with your product and your brand just like in real life, it increases your customer engagement, better the conversions, and ultimately boosts sales. 

Better Experience

Your customers make better purchase decisions when interacting with the product as they do in the real world. Unlike online shopping from a catalog, your customer can see how a shirt would look on them with 3D visualization. The live camera feed fills the gap of catalog shopping through a customized and personalized product experience.

More Conversions

Online shopping still has a high return rate, and AR is bridging this distance. Your users are more likely to convert into customers when they get a better view of the product they plan to buy. 

In short, AR is a total win-win for you and your customer. Lenskart is the most successful model of AR shopping in India, and Uniqlo, Lacoste, and other brands have started implementing it in their eCommerce realm. So if you are a retailer, there has not been a better time to follow suit.