With the constantly evolving digital landscape, one shift is constant. The constant is the consistently elevating user expectations and preferences. With the advent of AppleARKit and Google’s ARcore, AR VR solutions have revolutionized the retail world by catering to customer whims.
The retail industry is constantly investing in emerging technologies and AR VR solutions are one of them. The role of AR VR in e-commerce industry is like a breadth of fresh air with an immersive feel in an interactive world. You must consult an Augmented Reality development company to learn about the latest AR innovations.
If you are an entrepreneur looking to engage with your customers and elevate their buying experiences, look no further. AR VR solutions can be a game-changer in generating engagement while optimizing their in-store experience. The blog will explore new ways of integrating AR VR in the Retail industry. Let’s dig in!
The Limitations of Traditional Marketing
We all have to agree that traditional marketing has a set of limitations for marketing a product or service efficiently. The right AR VR solutions fill in the gap quite efficiently. For now, let’s address some of the major setbacks traditional marketing retailers face.
Limited interaction and engagement – TV commercials, print ads, and online marketing are a great way but it doesn’t create much room for customers to interact. For example, to explore products in-depth about the product’s look and feel.
Lack of Personalization We all agree that the retail market thrives in creating personalized customer experiences. But the traditional approach is quite contrary to it. The traditional approach portrays a “one size fits all” display. Using technologies like AI and AR VR solutions you can cater to individual preferences by providing an in-depth 3D product
Displaying products in a 2D manner Displaying flat images, and short descriptions can lead to a major disinterest amongst customers. This is because they don’t get clear about the product and its properties. They may not set an interactive and immersive foundation for their target consumers.
Physical space The brick-and-mortar concept has certain major limitations. The long queue of trials, the lack of instantly sales associates, and intricate details like the latest customer reviews, etc. Physical stores have that gap to fill for a more immersive experience with their customers. AR VR solutions allow customers to view different products in a 3D environment facilitating skeptical customers to make informed decisions. For example, allowing customers to visualize how the products would look in their homes or their preferred environment can boost interaction and conversion efficiency.
By integrating AR VR into the retail industry, you can surpass these limitations boosting your overall engagement ratio and conversion rates. Let us have a look further.
5 Innovative AR VR Use Cases in The Retail Industry
It’s time to broaden your horizons by learning how AR VR can empower different aspects of retail brands. Also, consider the following ways to incorporate AR VR shopping solutions for your retail business.
1. Enhanced Product Visualization
One of the superior ways AR VR can be used is to optimize the in-store experience. Allowing customers how a particular product will look will enable better visualization for them.
For instance, a brand named Magnolia collaborated with Shopify’s AR Express to create an AR VR solution. In the AR apps, customers can visualize a product’s look and feel in their preferred 3D space. Additionally, they can try different home decor pieces and furniture to visualize the overall look of their homes. All this at the convenience and comfort of their homes. Ikea stands as another successful testimony supporting this innovative AR feature.
2. Virtual “Try-Ons”
The popular feature of Virtual try-ons has hugely influenced buying decisions with visibly improved conversion rates and sales. The feature powered by AR VR solutions proved to be a huge game changer helping several brands beauty and makeup brands like Loreal and Sephora. The brand leveraged AR VR solutions helping its user base discover how the products will look on them.
For instance, big brands like Gucci have enabled one of the popular AR features “virtual try-on” to reveal a sneak peek of their latest exclusive collection. The collection includes 3D augmented images such as sunglasses, perfumes, and bags. From Burberry to Louis Vuitton Luxury brands have created their AR VR solution (AR Apps) with a virtual try-on feature for a more cohesive customer experience.
3. Personalized In-store Navigation
Imagine you have a store visit and you can find every detail about the apparel including customer reviews. For example, US-based clothing brands used.Personal in-store AR apps wherein customers can fetch every intricate detail of the products. Instead of asking the sales staff, customers can directly gather crucial product information. For example, the total price, color, and availability of the product with the latest customer reviews and ratings. Store visitors can directly ask what the buyers think and rate the product.
Beyond it, the customers can access the immersive videos of models wearing their favorite fits. Furthermore, they can share the images on their social media and send them to their friends and family.
Based on the survey, approximately 63% of shoppers prepare to have online information about the in-store products on their smartphones. The following is proof enough that AR is a key enabler in fulfilling such shopping experiences.
4. Immersive Advertising Campaigns
Leveraging advertising campaigns customers can run immersive targeted ads on the immersive campaigns. Additionally, Brands can establish virtual events about their newly launched product collection establishing communication with their ideal audience.
Besides, brands can interact with their potential prospects learning about their preferences and tastes. Additionally, brands can build a dynamic repo with them that surpasses any commercial gains. This is an ideal example of AR VR innovations in the Retail industry.
5. Build an Immersive Brand Awareness
Let’s all admit to it. AR can allow brands to establish their digital presence by creating new and interactive ways to communicate. For instance, brands like Airwalk created an AR app to help their shoppers know about the latest Airwalk Jim. Customers can download Airwalk to transport them to a virtual immersive shoe store.
Additionally, airwalk’s AR VR platform helped them boost their revenue by an additional $ 5 lakh dollars in earning media. That’s a powerful example showcasing the role of AR in e-commerce. More than that, it helped Airwalk establish as a as a tech-savvy and futuristic company.
Future AR VR Shopping Trends Shaping the Retail Industry
The future of AR VR holds an exciting space, especially the role of AR VR in the ecommerce industry. It is opening new avenues for Retail brands to resonate a layer deep with their customers. Investors are going bullish over the benefits of AR VR solutions for retail brands for 2024.
AI for Personalized AR Experiences
AI integrations can add a layer of personalized content for individual shoppers in the Retail industry. To cater to unique states and customers, it will make desirable product recommendations to the customers. The role of AI with AR VR solutions brings forth an intuitive, interactive, and personalized shopping experience.
Smart Glasses for Everyday Use
In the future, bulky and heavy glasses will be replaced by smart glasses. Furthermore, they will be the key enabler of an immersive digital world and virtual objects in the visual field. These smart glasses will impact everyday lives by replacing the way customers interact and connect with retail brands.
Mixed Reality Solutions
Mixed reality has the potential to create a seamless blend of digital 3D elements in the real-world environment. This will likely fill the bridge gap between the physical and digital space creating a unique purchasing experience.
Metaverse Ecosystem
The Metaverse ecosystem powered with haptic technologies can connect all internet users in a unified space. This transition is quite literally not possible without AR VR advancements. By integrating AR VR features in retail, you create an omnichannel shopping experience building a unified customer dynamics.
Let the AR VR Magic Begin!
The impact of AR VR in retail is nothing less than a paradigm shift! More than that, it is bringing customers comfort and convenience via AR VR Retail solutions. However, integrating AR VR technologies is unlike any cakewalk or easy ride. Technical challenges like higher cost implications, AR integrations, and user adoption, need you to have an expert by your side. Furthermore, to overlay complex 3D objects in the virtual representation you must hire AR VR developers with adequate proficiency.
The popularity of AR VR in retail can transform from a mere cool trend to a conscious shopping experience. You need to learn how to use AR VR solutions in the aspect of Retail for immersive tech-savvy shoppers. To ensure this, you need a professional AR VR development company to revamp different aspects of your business.
Beyond that, AR VR development in retail can be a key enabler for customers to make informed and accurate decisions. For brands, it is a great way to boost their online sales while reducing overall product returns. Furthermore, it has optimized in-store customer journeys for a more engaging feel. Place yours as a tech-savvy and futuristic AR VR brand to gain a smart edge over your competitive retailers.
