How In-Store Experiences can Benefit from Augmented Reality

eCommerce is on the rise, bringing in $517B in U.S. sales in 2018. Still, a considerable 85% of retail sales happen in-store. Consumers are on the hunt for information, and physical product interactions currently lead the pack in experience value. For many digital shoppers, visualization of a product is tricky, especially when attempting to gauge color, texture, size, and fit. In-store product experiences solve these problems with one caveat – the physical product must actually be in stock. Of course guaranteeing inventory would require unlimited space and planning, an unrealistic undertaking for most retailers. The concept of “endless aisles” was introduced to solve this very issue – ensuring that all product options, variations, and alternatives are seemingly available in-store via external inventory. Savvy retailers recognize that just because something isn’t currently on the shelves doesn’t mean that a customer won’t buy it. The only problem? The in-store experience is lacking valuable product information without the physical product available in-store. This is where 3D and augmented reality (AR) come into play, enabling a simple solution to this complex problem. Endless aisle kiosks act as a digital extension to in-store inventory, while 3D and AR product experiences supplement the physical information that digital experiences are currently missing. Sound complicated? Let’s start from the beginning.