How Augmented Reality Is Changing Defense Industry Sales
For more than a decade, Gunwerks has been an industry leader in delivering complete shooting systems. From bipods to ballistic turrets and everything in between, Gunwerks assembles custom systems that are ready to go. The company prides itself on delivering a rifle and accessories capable of shooting accurately to 1,000 yards right out of the box. It's a growth industry. Firearms & Ammunition manufacturing will finish 2019 with more than $17 billion in total revenue. Defence product sales and firearms sales continue to climb at a rate of 4.5% annually over the past five years. The fastestgrowing area of sales is e-Commerce. Gunwerks is taking online sales to the next level by integrating cutting-edge AR technology from NexTech AR. “The largest barrier that online retailers run into is the customer not being able to touch and feel the product,” said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech AR Solutions. NexTech’s AR solutions allow Gunwerks to offer customers as close to a retail experience as they can get without being in a physical store. When your typical price point runs around $13,000 for these high-end rifles, Gunwerks’ customers are serious sporting goods enthusiasts. “A majority of the folks that shop for these particular products do it through mobile,” said Paul Duffy, President of Nextech AR Solutions. AR for eCommerce lets customers not just see the products but experience them as they build their dream rifle right on their phone.
See An Increase In Engagement
AR for eCommerce provides an interactive shopping experience. It dramatically increases the length of time customers spend with products. Customers became deeply engaged. Allowing customers to explore options and configurations while shopping leads to higher conversions as it moves people from shoppers to buyers. It also helps with tracking and lead generation. Your customers are sampling your products while you are collecting important data. AR increases brand awareness and loyalty while educating both consumers and channel stakeholders. It also reduces return rates across channels from consumer to dealer to manufacturer.
Augmented Reality - A Must-Have Sales Tool
Augmented Reality is quickly becoming a must-have eCommerce tool for retailers. Business consulting company Gartner reports that 46% of retailers plan to deploy AR solutions by 2020. AR-enhanced shopping has gone from being a niche product to something customers have come to expect from online retailers. Faster online speeds, such as 5G mobile technology, will only accelerate that trend. “With our customers, they need to make sure that what they are buying is going to work as often times their life is going to depend on it,” said Jay Duncan, Marketing Director at Gunwerks. “With NexTech’s AR technology integrated on our website, they will now be able to see if something is the right size, has the right features and will work for their load out, which is great.” Manufacturers and dealers are embracing AR as a way to capture leads and increase conversions. “Now they are actually able to bring the so-called ‘in-store experience’ with the rifle, have it configured, and then essentially enable the shopper to experience it through their mobile phone,” said Duffy. “Partnering with NexTech AR has enabled Gunwerks to provide our customers a unique and immersive product experience in our digital e-commerce platform,” said Duncan.
