Target Doubled Sales with AR
Augmented reality (AR) continues to provide new ways for retailers to hook consumers in stores and online. Target added augmented reality (AR) technology to its mobile app to help shoppers find the perfect-sized artificial Christmas tree and to decorate their homes. The AR experience uses the smartphone camera to place a number of artificial Christmas trees—and also some furniture items and rugs—in true-to-life sizes in the room being occupied by the shopper, much as furniture e-commerce sites have harnessed AR to help shoppers “place” couches and tables in their living rooms.
“Hundreds of thousands of guests” are already using the “See It In Your Space” feature, according to Target. A company spokesperson told the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that the feature “has doubled Christmas tree sales”.
Target also added six unique “holiday rooms” to its virtual, 360-degree shopping feature. The virtual rooms show how dozens of popular holiday products look at scale in living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms.
NexTech AR Insight:
Target’s AR shopping features are designed to ease the stress of buying items such as holiday decorations. Instead of estimating the size of a tree, ordering it and possibly being disappointed when it’s unboxed, customers can get a better idea of what it will look like in an actual setting before placing an order. AR demonstrations and 360-degree views of products help to manage customer expectations, and likely lead to fewer product returns.
Retailers are offering more tech-focused shopping experiences to appeal to millennials and Gen Zers, who are comfortable mixing their in-store and online shopping. Millennials expect retailers to provide fast, convenient shopping experiences, with 47% saying they buy online and pick up in-store more than 40% of the time compared to 30% of Gen Xers and 14% of baby boomers, according to a report by Euclid. Among Gen Zers, 80% say they look forward to shopping in stores when they have time, but 75% prefer to shop online out of convenience, according to Criteo research. Retailers like Ikea, Houzz, Artemest, Macy’s, Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma have added 3D and AR tech to their marketing mix to enhance the shopping experience.
Are You Ready to Follow in Target’s Footsteps?
Retailers like Ikea, Houzz, Artemest, Macy’s, Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma have added 3D and AR tech to their marketing mix to enhance the shopping experience.
While there’s probably a lot you could learn from these household names, one easy step you can take toward emulating their success is simply investing in augmented reality. Fortunately, it’s easier and more affordable than ever before. At NextTech AR Solutions Corp., we’ve developed a proprietary augmented reality advertising platform that connects shoppers with companies through a fully-immersive AR experience.
Contact us today to learn more about this cutting-edge technology and how we’ll customize it – and its implementation – to meet your company’s unique needs.
