5 Best Examples of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Retail

Naturally, augmented and virtual reality is part of our lives. Gamers are incredibly familiar with it. However, the possibilities of VR and AR turned out to be so limitless that the use of these technologies has gone far beyond the gaming world.

Everything you can do with the help of augmented and virtual reality in your business is limited only by your imagination.

According to Statista, by 2025, about a third of US shoppers will use augmented reality technologies when shopping online.

Since competition in retail is high, augmented and virtual reality can help businesses find business marketing mistakes and achieve great success. Among other benefits, a technological and rich approach can increase the number of retail purchases in a brick and mortar store.

Here are five great examples of using AR and VR in retail:

1. IKEA

The Swedish company Ikea is perhaps the most elegant example of how augmented, and virtual reality can help you sell your product. Ikea has developed The Place app, which allows shoppers to use augmented reality with their smartphone's camera to place pieces of furniture in their homes to visualize exactly how the part would look in their setting. So quickly and gracefully, you can accurately imagine what this or that piece of furniture looks like in your living room or office.

2. BMW

The most famous car company uses augmented reality to allow car buyers to walk into car dealerships and customize cars of different colors or styles using their tablets or phones. Forbes notes that visitors to BMW showrooms can also put on virtual reality goggles and experience what it's like to drive cars. Hence, they understand their capabilities and can make the perfect choice for their new vehicle.

3. Apple

During the pandemic, Apple did not waste time and

made it possible to visit Apple stores using AR technology to showcase their products. Customers can use AR Quick Look for new iPhone or iMac models so you can see how they look in your space or your hand.

4. L'Oreal

This French cosmetics and perfumery company offers an augmented reality makeup experience delivered in partnership with Facebook. Now you can choose the product you are interested in without visiting an offline store and using virtual assistants.

5. Asos

Fashion retailer Asos now can dress up a human model online to see exactly how certain clothes will look on your figure. With the help of AR, you can see the nuances of fitting clothes on any figure and accurately imagine how jeans or a jacket will fit. The problem of unsuccessful purchases of clothes on the Internet is solved! Probably in the future, we will have our own avatars to scan our bodies and try out our avatars in the digital world.

Conclusion

It is evident that the world will no longer be the same, and augmented reality will turn from entertainment into a convenient tool for working in retail. It will benefit both sellers and buyers. Many retail companies order custom mobile app development for their products and services. Such a step is quite apparent and justified - everyone wants to have a competitive advantage and attract a buyer thanks to modern technologies. After all, today, the winner is the one who is not afraid to use technology.

Author’s bio: Anastasiia Lastovetska is a technology writer at MLSDev, a software development company that builds web & mobile app solutions from scratch. She researches the area of technology to create great content about app development, UX/UI design, tech & business consulting.

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