Fashion and beauty are among the many industries that have been the most innovative and fast-paced in terms of customer engagements and developing innovative marketing strategies. The arrival of the latest technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) results in enhanced marketing campaigns and customer interaction and engagements, leading to massive sales. Fashion brands seem to find early adopters in anything said to be ‘trending’ or ‘the next big thing to trend’ in online or offline markets. According to a statistical survey by Digi-Capital, about 3.5 billion people would be using augmented reality by 2022, about “44%” of the World’s population. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated in an interview with Vogue that AR is set to modernize shopping experiences and fashion runways. “I do not think there is any sector or industry that will be untouched by AR,” says Cook.
Image credit: www.suzanneharward.com
The fashion industry has already started adopting the shift to ‘AR’ as it continues to change industries. The ability to visualize and display fashion and beauty products in real-time demonstrates how it is possible to use AR to make a retail experience more engaging and interactive,” says Jordan Yim, Director at INHAABIT. In an article by Forbes, Greg Jones, director of VR and AR at Google, stated that Google’s insights show 61% of the users say they would prefer to shop in stores that offer AR. “AR is set to reconnect physical and digital retail services,” he said. Several retail brands have already rolled out AR features in their apps and in-store experiences. There are a lot of Advantages for businesses adapting Augmented Reality technology. This blog further discusses brand examples and how they have benefited from the use of AR.
WANNA KICKS let’s users try on snickers they sell using AR technology with mobile devices with trackers, making them move freely while seeing the snickers virtually on their devices. In an interview with TechCrunch, WannaBy CEO and ex-goggler Sergey Arkhangelskiy stated, “We believe that AR try-on can help customers to shop online and will wash away the difference between online and offline shopping.”
Credit: wanna.fashion
Suzanne Harward is a fashion design brand that makes wedding dresses. They introduced the Harward Virtual View, an augmented reality app that makes the shopping experience more immersive and fun for brides. This technology makes brides explore the vast collections of wedding dresses on life-sized models on their mobile devices in the convenience of their homes. Brides can zoom in, have a 360-degree view and also see more details in the fabric used in making the dress. Having the AR technology makes the bride make a more informed decision on their purchasing decision. The app is available on the Apple AppStore and the Google play store.
Credit: Www.SuzanneHarward.com
AR is one of the technologies changing the fashion industry, paving the way for digital integration and advancement. Fashion retail is a dynamic industry, and staying up to date with the latest technology is essential.
Interesting read! I use the ASOS video option almost everytime, it really gives a better understanding of how the outfit will look like, and I would always prefer to shop on the website that has this feature. Cannot wait to read more about where VR and AR can be implemented! It is the future ?