According to market researchers at Gartner, up to 100 million consumers are expected to use augmented reality technology online or in stores to visualize and better understand products as early as 2020.
Retailers are coming under even more pressure to justify their brick-and-mortar stores and to control purchases and returns across all channels, according to Gartner.
Consumers are becoming increasingly critical. As a result of this pressure, more and more retailers are turning to VR and AR to offer customers a unified shopping experience inside and outside stores, according to Gartner.
As an example, Gartner cites Ikea’s Place smartphone app, which can be used to digitally place furniture in your own four walls before you buy it, allowing you to weigh up a purchase from the sofa at your leisure.
Almost half of retailers are planning VR or AR
Gartner’s forecast is based on interviews with 97 decision-makers or consultants at retailers worldwide. According to the survey, 46 percent of retailers are planning VR or AR technologies in order to better meet customer needs in the future.
According to Gartner, VR and AR shopping is one of the most efficient tools for visualizing products for customers. In addition to Ikea, Alibaba VR shopping, VR tours from Tesco and 360-degree advertisements from Adidas are also cited as positive examples.
Source: Gartner
