Augmented Reality for Remote Retailing

COVID-19 outbreak impacted the way we live and has significantly changed consumers’ buying habits and attitudes towards interacting with physical stores. It resulted in a considerable increase in the demand for online shopping, but certain products like ornaments, wearable gadgets, furniture, etc., demand a “try-before-buy” experience to avoid dissatisfaction.

With the help of Augmented Reality (AR), retailers are now started offering virtual “try-before-buy” experiences, increasing customer confidence for online buying. It also helps considerably reduce store returns of online purchased items, thereby bringing added benefits to the retailers. This article discusses the applicability of AR technology for retailers under various product buying scenarios.