As the highest-returning sector for almost two decades, the fashion industry has outperformed the tech, healthcare, and consumer staples industries. And with the introduction of augmented reality, the industry is predicted to soar to great heights like never before. From immersive animated designs being introduced in the retail stores to revolutionary virtual experiences for customers right in their homes, top brands from the fashion industry are engaging with customers with newfound innovations. 

Studies by McKinsey reveal the significant positive changes in the extent of online shopping, especially for high-earning Gen-Zers. And overall, consumers are increasingly favoring brands that integrate augmented reality into their shopping experiences.   

Why Do Customers Prefer AR-integrated Shopping? 

“At some point, we’re going to look back and think, how did we not have a digital layer on the physical world,” says the Director of VR and AR at Google – Greg Jones. 

Augmented reality in the fashion industry helps companies build their brand by delivering an immersive experience. Still, sometimes, even the right technology fails to reach its highest potential if the targeted audience is not ready for it. And this leads us to the question of – How is the trend of AR shopping absorbed in the market? Customer absorption of these trends is a crucial factor and a driving force to understand the fashion industry’s future. 

Moving into the functionality and utility of AR in the fashion industry is indeed one of the most revolutionary trends to have happened. It enables transparency and trust within the customers as it allows them to visually view real-time fashion products. The need for imagining how a product will look is gone because customers can virtually view the product themselves. 

Furthermore, AR boosts the reinforcement value of the brand. Brands can use AR to portray their brand story through an engaging and immersive channel. 

Successful Experimentation of Immersive AR By Brands 

“Augmented reality is going to change the way that the fashion industry creates, showcases, and retails its products. The year ahead will see an explosion in opportunities for this immersive technology to redefine what we understand as fashion today”, says Matthew Drinkwater, Head of the Fashion Innovation Agency.  

Numerous big fashion brands have gotten their hands dirty with AR-integrated shopping. The first few brands are GAP Inc., Sephora, and Home Depot.   

Shopping With a Virtual Avatar – GAP Inc. 

GAP Inc. entered the world of AR-shopping for its customers through a Google Tango-validated device. Through the Dressing Room application, users could personalize virtual avatar-based off themselves. This allowed customers to virtually try pieces of clothing without even getting up from their couches! With views available from different angles, customers could decide how the apparel would look on their bodies and make the best decision for themselves. 

No more fitting rooms

Revolutionizing Makeover Experiences – Sephora 

Sephora has partnered with ModiFace to release a Virtual Artist application to help its customers virtually try makeup and find the best combination. As per research from Deloitte Insights, Sephora’s Virtual Artist app witnessed over”…over 200 million shades tried on during the more than 8.5 million visits…”. Being a pioneer in the AR apps realm, AR allowed Sephora to leverage technology to mirror a makeover experience from its customer’s own devices. 

Try-It-Own Technology For E-Commerce – NexTech 

Making further innovations within the AR Fashion industry, NexTech launched a Try-It-On technology solution for eCommerce businesses. Having web-based AR technology is an even more significant game-changer because NexTech can continuously change the software code and provide custom and enhanced shopping experiences. 

The Try-It-On technology allows customers to virtually try accessories from jewelry, sunglasses, headwear, and all that goes above the shoulder. With this technology, eCommerce stores can eliminate the customer’s need for physical fitting rooms, as they can virtually try products. 

Where does your business stand with AR? 

Embracing augmented reality would not only improve customer experience but also increase sales, Global Market Insights estimates that the Augmented Reality Market value will exceed $50 billion by 2024.  

The AR world awaits you! Explore the best that the digital world has to offer with Tulfa.To learn more, contact us to schedule some time with one of our teammates.