AR in Retail

Augmented reality is one of those topics that has been picking up steam in retail circles for the past couple of years, yet not a technology I frequently hear consumers saying they’ve used.

Two AR use cases I like are ones that help customers try product and make decisions. One is via Sephora’s app integration of Modiface, which allows a user to virtually apply make-up and works surprisingly well. Another provides the ability to “see” furniture in one’s home or shoes on one’s feet through apps including IKEA and Converse, respectively.

Neither of these examples is meant for use within a physical retail environment and there aren’t many places where AR has been used that way. Some are here and here; I’m less a fan of experiences meant for customers who are already in a fitting room or on a shoe floor because there’s less burden to be overcome at that point.

Last month at Verizon, we built an in-store AR use case and rolled it out to thousands of our stores. The activation was tied into Verizon’s holiday campaign and encouraged deeper engagement in the store by prompting customers to search for and “unwrap” exclusive promotional offers as they browsed.

Below is a video of how it worked. Please write or tweet and share your favorite examples of AR in retail. I’d love to hear them.