… although only 20 per cent of American consumers have experienced AR-powered shopping, three-quarters of customers in the US prefer augmented reality experiences over video content for shopping, gaming and entertainment. Overwhelmingly, their research also revealed, that the majority of customers would prefer to use AR technologies to help them with purchasing decisions.
Although AR is the kind of technology that will give fashion brands and retailers the opportunity to tailor make experiences for their customers, adoption of the technology has been slow. I think this is more to do with what is currently available rather than lack of interest. The truth of the matter is that the technology is still trying to find its feet, and when it does become that little bit more user-friendly (and affordable), I foresee both online and offline adoption of AR experiences increasing rapidly.
Enter The Brave
So far, there have been a few fashion brands that have dipped their toe into the world of AR. The ‘early pioneers’ of AR include companies like GAP Inc. who entered the AR space with Dressing Room, a Google Tango-enabled device which enabled users to use the app to customise an avatar based on their body type. The technology also gave GAP customers the opportunity to see how different pieces of clothing looked on them at different angles before deciding whether to purchase the clothing, which they could do directly from the app. The experience allowed GAP to offer its customers a seamless shopping experience while boosting their revenue, a definite win, win.
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