Image → Aleksey Efremov
NEWS • TECHNOLOGY • 24 July 2021
Words by Laura Pitcher
New Wave On Consumers Expect Digitally Connected Retail
A new report found that we’re increasingly expecting AR tests and try-on in retail after a shift to e-commerce.
A new report, commissioned by Snap and conducted by Foresight Factory, has found that consumers are increasingly expecting “connected shopping” experiences harnessing mobile-friendly technologies in physical retail spaces.
The global survey of 20,000 customers found that 40% of UK consumers use their mobile while browsing in-store to cross-check pricing, predicting that augmented reality will play an increasing role in this habit in the near future. It also found that technology will drive people into stores.
“35% of global consumers would go out of their way to visit a store if it had interactive virtual services such as a smart mirror that allowed them to try on clothes or makeup,” the report stated. 19% of respondents also said they’d be more willing to shop in stores that provided real-time stock information or a home delivery service.
After digital and e-commerce sectors boomed during the pandemic, the report offers a glimpse into the digitally-upgraded future of brick and mortar, suggesting that investing in connecting retail will be integral for stores to survive. “Physical retail must combine the convenience of online with the social experiences shoppers have missed,” the report stated.
It also claimed that virtual product testing is set to be online retail’s next big opportunity, finding that more than 1 in 3 Gen Z will be shopping with AR by 2025. Currently, 1 in 4 would spend more than $200 on a luxury brand NFT.
Sneakers resale marketplace GOAT also released a augmented reality “Try-On” feature, allowing shoppers to virtually try on its rare and exclusive shoes before committing to a purchase. Its Try-On feature will allow GOAT’s 20 million users to see what some of the world’s most sought after trainers, including a range of the rarest Nike Dunks, Air Force 1s and unreleased samples, look like on their own feet. “Product innovation has always been an integral part of our business and after early success with our previous AR launches, we knew Try-On was something we had to offer our community,” GOAT’s co-founder Daishin Sugano said.
Confirming a shift to VR experiences, the post COVID-19 retail landscape will be defined by the blurring of consumer needs and expectations across physical and digital shopping channels. As high streets open again, e-commerce is well and truly here to stay, and brick and mortar retailers will need to incorporate digital services in order to appeal to the new wave of consumers.