Augmented reality: The trend you can no longer ignore

It’s easy to think of augmented reality (AR) as a futuristic concept.  But, rapid advances in technology means AR is fast becoming an important tool for retailers. In fact, Shopify found that products advertised through AR saw a 94% higher conversion rate. Moreover, AR is helping to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world. In addition, it has become an important way to  differentiate your store from competitors in a saturated marketplace.

Consumers can now try on jewelry, clothing and sunglasses just by looking at their smartphones. We outline 3 reasons why augmented reality is a trend you can no longer afford to ignore:

Customers can visualise products

One of the biggest problems with eCommerce is that shoppers are not able to physically examine and try out the product before buying it. Augmented reality brings the in-store buying experience into consumers’ homes. This means shoppers can virtually “try before they buy”. In other words, they can visualise how a product or piece of furniture would look before they actually purchase it. This not only guarantees a memorable shopping experience, but also helps consumers make purchase decisions with more confidence.

Shoppers can make more educated decisions

Augmented reality can help customers more educated decisions. This is especially important at a time when at least 30% of all products ordered online are returned. In contrast, just 8.89% of items are returned when bought from physical stores.

Enhanced customer experience

Consumers are looking for seamless online shopping experiences. This is especially the case post Covid-19. Augmented reality offers a powerful way to add value at every stage of the customer journey. This significantly enhances the shopping experience and improves customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty.

Augmented reality redefining retail

There’s no question that AR is redefining retail. In fact, it has gone from a nice-to-have to an important competitive differentiator. Moreover, it is projected to reach US$ 17864.86 million by 2028. 

AR enables retailers to create immersive shopping experiences from anywhere. And as technology continues to advance, so does AR’s potential. It’s time retailers reimagine retail experiences for this new, immersive, digital-first world.