While stuck at home amid ever-evolving regulations many consumers have turned to shopping in Augmented Reality. The technology was made ubiquitous by Snapchat who pioneered Augmented Reality as a way to transform people’s faces into anime portraits or add dog ears/noses for a cute video to share with friends. Large fashion and lifestyle brands have now turned to Augmented Reality as a way to super-impose products on people’s faces and bodies for a virtual “try-on” experience. As the pandemic pushes on retailers are increasingly relying on AR and the technological advances from Snapchat and Facebook to build unique e-commerce experiences. 

 

Here are some ideas for how AR e-commerce can help your brand. 

 

Virtual Try-Ons

Shopping online is fun but a lack of personalization is quickly becoming a major roadblock in the buyer journey. When it comes to e-commerce consumers want to interact with products and feel confident in sizing and fit. Browsing through product pages and 2D photos results in an impersonal experience - something that 71% of consumers report as major problem.

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To solve this many retail brands have adopted virtual try-ons and 3D product modeling. Leveraging the power of AR and smartphones consumers can super-impose digitally rendered products onto themselves before purchasing. Snapchat has led the charge in this space through partnerships with Gucci, Dior and a several makeup companies that specialize in 3D renders of their products. One of the best examples combines machine learning and AR to super-impose Gucci shoes on a user’s feet. You can cycle through models then swipe up to purchase. Nearly 19 million Snapchat users have tried on Gucci products using the filter.  

 

Offering a 3D try on experience can help cut down on the cost of returns - an estimated 60 billion pounds per year. This type of experience also helps brands be more competitive as almost 75% of consumers expect an AR experience when shopping online. 

 

3D Product Visualization 

The major reason a consumer visits a retail location is to see a product in person, check it out from different angles and imagine it in their own environment. Consumers need this trust to feel confident in a purchasing decision. Using AR and 3D modelling technology you can embed products directly on a webpage so consumers can gain back that sensation of being in-store. These types of experiences can boost customer engagement by 66% compared to browsing traditional 2D images. 

 

It can also lead to increased conversions. According to a study from Cappasity conversion rate on products which are displayed in 3D resulted in 40% higher conversion rate when embedded directly on the checkout page. 

 

The technology can also be used to place objects within a consumer’s home - a use case which gained momentum in 2020. Ikea has led the charge here by creating an application that lets consumers scan their living rooms and add 3D furniture renders to their own spaces. Ikea’s app, called IKEA place, features true-to-scale 3D products displayed in AR. It will even automatically size and place the furniture based on room dimensions. According to the company, the first set of of launched products mainly includes large-scale furniture such as sofas, armchairs, coffee tables and storage solutions. 

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If you'd like to chat about how Auras Studios can help your brand incorporate AR e-commerce into a digital strategy please feel free to reach out at info@auras-studios.com.