Page 11 - AeM_July_2020

RESEARCH
ANALYSIS
TRENDS

Use of AR and VR technology in-store

With their smartphone, customers hold a small individual touchpoints and the data collected are not
“supercomputer” in their hands every day, which is why holistically linked in a meaningful way. A significant
brands and retailers should start to play with the reduction in data silos is prerequisite, remedied by so-
possibilities of the digital commerce environment in called data hubs, which combine different information
traditional brick-and-mortar retail. into a single large data profile and thus provide
marketers with strategic and analytical information
The so-called smart mirror technology provides a good within a consolidated solution. The customer
example of how the boundaries between online and experience can only be meaningfully expanded with the
offline experience start to blur. These interactive help of these holistic sources of information.
mirrors suggest to customers outfit combinations
directly in the changing room, among other things, According to a Gartner study, around 100 million
based on the clothes they have taken to try on. These customers will shop virtually via augmented reality (AR)
can then be loaded onto the smartphone, for example, in the store this year, calling on retailers to take up the
using a QR code scan. The items can then be bought technology fast and, above all, to bring omnipresent
either directly in the store or later online. Another good shopping opportunity to the next level.
example is the smart shop window, which gives
customers an exceptional shopping experience - even Customers can, for instance, use their smartphone to
outside opening hours. check whether the piece of furniture they want really fits
into their own four walls. Just think about the Swedish
Such new trends and technical possibilities will be the furniture giant IKEA that is currently demonstrating this
chessboard of the future of commerce. After all, with its AR app IKEA Place. This possibility of digital
customers are longing for new experiences in brick-and reality and eventful "browsing" will be a veritable way to
-mortar retail that are in no way inferior to the familiar increase the conversion rates and the digital customer
digital and highly personalized shopping experiences. experience in the store and at home this year.
In the best case, all around the clock.
The fact is, disregarding the COVID-19 crisis, 2020 will
Nowadays, marketers need to know a lot more about continue to be a challenging and exciting year for
their potential customers, as the number of touchpoints marketers and retailers. You should therefore address
within the customer journey increases with every these trends and the associated technologies to keep
innovation step. That is certainly beneficial for at it and offer your customers a unique customer
marketing strategies but creates new challenges if experience - both online and offline. ◊

By Daniela La Marca

11 July 2020: Virtual-, Augmented & Mixed Reality: revolutionizing the customer experience