Ever bought a product from an online retailer, and it never did fit or belong in that space you had envisioned? This would have cost you both money and time that you could have saved. With the increased introduction of augmented Reality by online retailers like Amazon, IKEA, and Target, the question of fitting in your space is no more.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality can be defined as a system that combines the 3D representation of real and virtual objects, virtual and real worlds, and real time interaction between people and the machines. These can be done visually, in haptic, somatosensory, and even auditory. The beauty and value of Augmented Reality is the ease with which a particular person’s perception or thinking towards the world can be used to blend with other components of the current world whichever way he or she pleases. Since the invention of Augmented Reality in the 1990s, its use and functionalities have gradually changed and diversified for the broader markets out there. Commercially, augmented Reality was mainly used in the gaming and entertainment industries to create a fantastic experience for gamers and the whole world at large.

Augmented Reality is widespread in almost every sector, including Education, Health and medicine, entertainment, Trading, and many more. Trading, shopping, and marketing have been boosted by Augmented Reality. AR is involved in every stage of the Trading, from manufacturing to marketing to the shopping and selling. Before Augmented Reality was introduced, Home shopping and online commerce were a little bit chaotic. 25% to 35% of the products ordered online are usually returned due to lack of enough insight on the product or only getting what you didn’t order, or it merely is an inferior version of what you saw online. Augmented Reality has helped to bridge the gap between online retailers and home shoppers to leave every party satisfied.

Augmented Reality helps the customers and home shoppers to visualize and see products in real time from the comfort of their Sofas. The 3D visuals help the buyers to virtually fit the products into their spaces and decide to buy the product or not. These help the customer save time and money while, on the other hand, it enables the online retailer to retain customers and reduces the cost of the free returns, hence increasing profits.

Amazon AR View

The addition of an AR view on the Amazon App has greatly revolutionized how home shopping is done on Amazon, as 60% of the home shoppers believe Augmented Reality has been a tremendous help. They are reluctant to buy any product, especially furniture, without using the AR view features.

Supported on both iOS and Android 7.0 devices, you first have to install the AR core App, then open the Amazon App, tap on the camera, select “View in your room,” and then choose the product. The AR will virtually preview that product in your space hence helps you to determine its suitability before purchasing it. It can also help you to design your room and also recommend to you other products that will fit and make it more beautiful or simply more comfy.

Amazon App features:

• The “View in your room” feature

• Design and manipulate your space feature.

• Different pre-installed styles on the AR app

• Products for the preview

• It also has measuring and sizing feature.

IKEA App

With the help of Apple, IKEA created an augmented reality app that, like Amazon, lets home shoppers and customers preview almost any item in their rooms and homes. Initially, The IKEA AR app enables you to take a picture of your room and fit in the products you intend to buy.

Commonly known as the IKEA place, it is only compatible with the latest versions of iPhone and IPad through the Apple iOS 11’s ARKit technology. You have to scan the room using the camera then with a rich online database; you can choose the product you desire, point to the desired spot on the scanned image, and then drag it to the place. IKEA is currently limited to its AR products to mainly furniture.

IKEA AR app features

• True to size and scale 3D products with about 98% accuracy.

• Scanning capability of the room

• It allows you to save your favorite products, share them, and purchase through the IKEA website.

Home depot App

The AR view option only works for furniture like doors, vanities, and faucets. Open the Home depot App, click on the camera and then click “See this in your home,” choose the product, and test it anywhere in your space.

Features

• It has over 500,000 products to choose from.

• It Has rotate and resizing features of up to 98% accuracy.

• It allows you to share your pictures on almost all social media pages, including Twitter, Facebook, or Whats-app.

• It has a feature that suggests other products and where they can fit in your space.

Wayfair AR App

The one-stop furniture shop added an augmented reality feature to their App to make it easy for customers to home shop furniture as if they are in the real Wayfair store. You only need to open your Wayfair app, click on the camera icon, take a picture, then go to the products, select the desired product, click on the” View in Room 3D,” and go ahead to visualize the product in your space.

Features

• “The interactive photo” for taking photos of your room and visualize your desired products.

• Has a visual search tool “search with Photo” for ease of access by customers.

• It helps you design your space from scratch.

• It also sends you tips and recommendations on how to make your living space better with their products.

Lowe’s Tango App

The home improvement and hardware store chain has followed in the steps of the likes of Amazon and IKEA to introduce augmented Reality in their mostly online retailer furniture business. Open the Lowe’s AR App, click on the camera, scan the space, and then place the products ranging from appliances to furniture and accessories virtually in your room.

Features

• “View in your space” for both android and iPhone users to virtually test their products.

• It also gives you more suggestions to improve your home and backyard and your surroundings in general.

• It has a feature that allows you to resize, rotate, and refit the chosen product virtually in your space.

Pottery Barn’s AR app features and how to use them

Pottery Barn introduced the Augmented reality feature on their App to attract and entice home shoppers to buy their products. You open the Pottery barn app, click on the camera icon, scan your room, select the Pottery barn products, and place them virtually in your space. The products range from rugs, lamps, pillows, and other furniture.

Features

• It has a tool to add, move, rotate, fit, and resize their products virtually in your space.

• They also have other AR apps for both teen design rooms and a 360-degree showcasing of a couch.

• It also sends you suggestions on how to improve your space further with their products.

Target AR App

Adding to the Pinterest-powered visual search tool and the real time maps, Target has introduced augmented Reality to attract more customers and reduce the rate of free returns hence the increase in profits. You take a picture of your space, then choose the product from the Target’s enormous database, then click on the “See it in your space” and finally place your product at your desired position. You can also shift it around, resize it and rotate it at a 360-degree angle.

Features

• “See it in your space” icon to position and view the products virtually in your space.

• Scaling, resizing, and rotating the products around your space.

• Gives you more recommendation so how to improve your space more with Target’s products.

AR apps are shifting the future of Home Shopping!

Augmented Reality has brought more features and attributes that before could never have been achieved. Ranging from the entertainment industry to the online commerce businesses, it not only puts the customers’ needs and desires first but also improves the profits of the companies involved. The future of home shopping is truly with Augmented Reality. With more and more online commerce firms like Amazon, IKEA, and Williams-Sonoma investing heavily in the AR supported applications and improving their interaction with their customer base. It is only going to get better with time as more companies like Google seek to install augmented reality browser platforms.

Augmented Reality is also benefiting home shoppers and online retailers.

• It helps the homeowners to design and use their spaces wisely as most of these AR apps have design suggestion tools, and they can help you design your space from scratch.

• Maximizes the company’s retention of customers as you keep suggesting and recommending them to improve their spaces with your products.

• It has revolutionized the marketing and advertising world as it keeps people glued to the adverts.

• It enables the right decision making on the part of the home shopper as he or she can test the products before making a purchase.

• The AR apps will captivate the home shoppers hence the desire to see what is in the store.

• It saves time and money for both the Home shopper and the online retailer as there are fewer product returns.

Augmented Reality has revolutionized how we conduct online shopping for the better, and this is only going to improve for the foreseeable future. With the reduction of free returns, the online retailer has greatly benefited, and on the part of the home shopper, it saves you time and money and leaves you satisfied as you get exactly what you ordered.