From being able to taste your clothes, makeup and creams to remodeling your house virtually, augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing the retail industry and hand consuming a technology that is within reach of our hands: your smartphone.
"it is shown that in less than five years, we will see an increase of 57% (from 23% in 2021 to 36% in 2025) in the proportion of buyers of Generation Z who use the augmented reality before buying. And we know that 1 out of 4 buyers says that, in fact, they would prefer to use augmented reality to test their clothes virtually, rather than visit a store to do so physically, "said Ana Daniela Portillo, market development leader for Mexico in SNAP, exclusively for Forbes Mexico.
It is estimated that by 2022 there will be approximately 1.1 billion mobile users of augmented reality worldwide and by 2024 it will reach 1.7 billion users, an increase of 1.5 billion from the 200 million observed in 2015, according to Statista data.
This technology has been adopted around the world; according to SNAP's study entitled "future of shopping", 40% of global consumers stated that they had bought more on their mobile since the beginning of the pandemic; 31% purchased weekly online from their smartphone and 46% assured that they would never go shopping without using their mobile phone, a percentage that reached 50% in Generation Z and millennials. The technology has been adopted around the world; according to SNAP's study entitled "future of shopping", 40% of global consumers said they had bought more on their mobile phone since the beginning of the pandemic; 31% bought online weekly from their smartphone and 46% assured that they would never go shopping without using their mobile phone, a percentage reaching 50% in Generation Z and millennials.
"3 out of 10 buyers of Generation Z and millennials stated that they would replace the way to visit stores with smart technology, compared to 5 out of 10 in Generation X. in addition, 1 out of 3 buyers also said they would use this feature if available in the store," the study points out.
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The main retailers who bet on augmented reality
Among the leading companies that have adopted augmented reality technology is Walmart, who in 2020 announced that he would convert four of his physical retail stores into "test shops" to test his new technology which controls his inventory digitally.
For its part, the British brand Burberry launched its AR experience to boost the launch of its new Olympia bag through a QR code located in the store, where customers could admire the statue of Elphis walking around, as well as having the possibility to take a photo or video to share with friends.
Other leading firms include Space10, Ikea's design lab, where users can use a sensor from their smartphones to capture complete 3D room plans and redesign them, incorporating windows and door frames to wall colors and carpets.
También han tomando fuerza los videojuegos presentados por marcas como Pull & Bear, Gucci y Moschino para acumular puntos a través de esta herramienta y permitirles entrar en una nueva categoría de la mano de la AR.
"A key strategy for global retailers to promote increased influx will provide in the store service that can match the level of security, comfort and customization available online," Portillo added.
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Will augmented reality only be adopted by certain segments?
While this technology was driven by confinement resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, brands still need to rethink the way they will use it, especially because of the inability to test products before purchase, which has been a clear obstacle to global purchasing experience.
Almost half of consumers worldwide claim that they have found this frustrating and this figure rises to 51% between Generation Z and 55% among millennials.
Social platforms have an advantage in facilitating discovery over online markets, as they provide more visual inspiration and ease of creating environments that cannot even be physically done.
"to this day our research has shown that when buying fashion products (clothing or accessories), furniture, beauty products (e.g. makeup or hair dye) and luxury items, between 38% and 44% of snapchatters would prefer to buy online in these categories using augmented reality," explained Portillo.
According to the study, 6 out of 10 respondents around the world say augmented reality has encouraged them to buy something and 1 out of 3 buyers thinks social platforms are a better place to discover new products in front of online search, which includes 58% of snapchatters.
"Technology will play a really important role in retail recovery and will boost the shopping experience both online and in the physical store. Snap sees a future in which the physical shopping experience will become increasingly connected and interactive, and we believe the Internet will be better understood as an important lever for people to go back to stores, "he explained.
"there is also a big gain for retail providers to reduce returns, taking advantage of digital testing opportunities. The more buyers can imagine the products themselves, the more likely they will be to keep the purchases, "SNAP's expert added.
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