AR Is Changing Online Shopping: What Does It Mean For Businesses?

Many still think of augmented reality as a fun toy. Often, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about AR is Pokemon Go.

But this perception is changing. Already, 76% of people expect to use AR as an everyday tool.

By 2025 4.3B people will use AR frequently, compared to 2.2B people in 2022. Augmented reality is becoming the new norm for shopping. Companies around the world adopt AR and VR, so the market is booming. It will grow up to $252B by 2028.

Let’s dive into AR to see how companies use it today.

Why Is AR Getting Popular?

There are a few reasons for that.

First, AR makes a great product description. It’s much more immersive than traditional photos and videos. With an AR app, you can fit a sofa into your apartment before buying it. It’s convenient.

Second, it’s hip. Like it or not, but we live in a world where companies are fighting for your attention. AR is fresh; many industries don’t have AR solutions yet. Right now AR is a way to stand out.

Third, the trendy Metaverse relies on AR. The growth of one will cause the other to grow too.

Fourth, it lowers costs. An AR app can often replace a visit to a specialist. For example, some tools will help you with minor home repairs.

Finally, it makes education more efficient. Businesses can use the technology to train their employees. For example, cooks in restaurants can learn recipes with AR glasses. The program would guide the cook to the correct ingredient and give instructions how to use it.

All of that increases brand loyalty. That’s why companies use AR more and more.

What AR Solutions Are Companies Building Now?

Apps That Place Furniture Into Living Rooms

It’s tricky to buy big items like furniture or a TV. You have to make sure that they will fit into the room. It’s a terrible feeling to buy a sofa only to realize that it doesn’t look very good inside. Once you bought a large item, it’s also not so simple to move around the apartment. So it's best to plan the layout ahead, and AR will help.

That's why many furniture retailers have apps that make it easier to place items around before purchasing.

IKEA was the first company to bring AR to the furniture market. If you have a phone, you can see what the sofa will look like in your apartment.

This makes customers more confident about shopping. It increases conversions and lowers the return rates.

Trying On Clothes & Accessories

Another good application for AR is fashion.

One example would be Farfetch's mobile store with integrated AR. Now, customers can try on sneakers at home.

In their case, adding AR increased unique product viewers by 580%.

Another example is Warby Parker’s app that lets you try on glasses.

Buying glasses online is harder than buying clothes. It’s difficult to know in advance if the frames will fit. With a shirt you know your size, but with glasses it’s another story. Finding a pair with the right shape and width is a challenge.

The AR app solves this issue. With the app, you can try on frames virtually.

Customers feel safer buying online, and Warby Parker makes its business more cost efficient. It’s a win-win.

Makeup Try On

Buying makeup online used to be tricky. You could never know if the color was right.

So, many women used to buy makeup in brick-and-mortar stores. This way they could try on lipstick and eye shadows.

AR solves this issue as well. Companies like L’Oréal release makeup try-on apps. This increases customer confidence dramatically.

In the case of L’Oréal, AR technology tripled conversion rates.

User Manuals That Are Simple & Clear

Let's face it, most people don't like reading user manuals. In most cases, they are just not simple to go through.

With AR, user manuals can be much easier to follow. This makes customers more loyal to the brand.

An example would be Hyundai's manual. It makes simple car maintenance available to everyone, and people love the app. Take a look at the promo video and the enthusiastic comments it gets:

Hyundai's wild augmented reality owner's manual — CES 2016

I Get It, AR Is Getting Everywhere. So What?

AR is getting better and more popular every year.

As the Metaverse gets more popular, so will AR. After all, it is the technology that the Metaverse relies on.

But it is still a new technology. There’s a lot of potential to it and many industries still don’t have AR solutions.

Think about your business field. Can AR help you grow? Do your competitors already use it?

Right now there’s a window of opportunity to stand out among your competitors. It might be the time to consider AR for your business.