Augmented Reality (AR) in Retail
We have seen a lot of interest in Augmented Reality in the Retail Industry lately. Project Natal has been creating quite a buzz in a lot of the retailer meetings that we have been in. Retailers do see a huge potential in the capabilities offered by Natal and they are certainly looking beyond the gaming capabilities. For those not familiar with Project Natal, have a look at :
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/
AdWeek has an excellent article about the Ad Potential of Project Natal and how it could be used to detect the characteristics of a person and what they are wearing or holding and make recommendations based on that.
Retailers can use Augmented reality for :
- Engaging customers and enhancing customer experience at the store. Unlike Microsoft Tag, Augmented reality does not necessarily need any printed tags but uses image recognition.
- Use Augmented Reality at Store Windows to engage customers and enable interaction and possible conversion.
- Use Augmented Reality to help visualize products without using additional floor space.
- Use AR for Apparel retailers for virtual fitting.
Here are some examples of AR in Retail:
- Ray Ban: Ray Ban Virtual Mirror Video
- Benetton: Augmented Reality
- Lego: Video
- Toyota: Video Download App
- Tissot: Video
- Ikea Concept