Isn’t it crazy how the way we shop today has completely transformed? Remember the good ‘ol days when shopping would literally be a day out with family or friends and you’d just walk around the mall, looking at more and more options, touching and feeling the texture of things until you get just what you’ve been looking for! As amazing and therapeutic that experience might be, it is one of the most time consuming things.
Personally, the life I am living at the moment is so fast paced, I barely get the time to go grocery shopping leave aside shopping for “fun” or even when it’s a necessity. To suit this insanely busy lifestyle, there are plenty of digital trends that make life 10x easier.
Story Time!
When I moved to NYC last Fall, the biggest challenge to me was setting up my house the way I always dreamed of. You know the excitement of moving out to a different country, getting the chance to finally have your own place and be able to set it up from scratch? I wanted to set up my place in the most aesthetic, trendy way possible! Although, the only thing coming between me and my dream place was well, time! I just didn’t have enough time to go out, all the way to Target or IKEA to shop for the things I wanted. Aside from these stores being miles away from Manhattan, I was new to the city, with absolutely no company to help me make crucial decisions. From choosing which couch and rug would look good, to deciding on one that would actually fit, these big decisions were making me crazy. Well, thank the lord, someone told me about the IKEA Place app!
Augmented Reality 💯
Introduction to the IKEA Place app has been one of the most life changing experiences of my life! If you’ve never used it before, well, what are you doing?! Download the app right away and test it out. Even if you don’t need to shop right now, just using the features on it is a whole experience in itself. The app basically uses this uber cool AR technology which places objects available at the store in your real house as per the size. So, all you need to do is flip your camera on and start scanning the space, select your product of choice and boom, you’re all set!
Why is it so cool?
It takes the shopping experience to a whole new level. It’s so amazing how technology is being used to make life so easy. The fact that you can see an entire couch in your own house, flip it around, change colors, throw in some other cool products to make a completely new setting without moving an inch from your chair is mind-blowing to me! It is true to scale and accurate to the millimeter!
Isn’t it insane how you’re able to alter reality into anything you want it to be?
What is does for IKEA
Through this, IKEA is able to reach all those customers who probably live too far from an IKEA store, have difficulties visualizing things, are confused about the dimensions of the product etc. It’s amazing that these barriers no longer stand in the way of a customer and the products available to him/her. This definitely helps in lead generation and customer retention.
Up and up and up!
There are a couple of other businesses that have started using AR technology as well to sell their products. I think it’s a really interesting concept and people are loving the whole idea of infusing real world and technology. In my opinion, this is just the beginning of how consumers interact with products. There’s tons more to come in the AR world and I think this is here to stay. Definitely looking forward to how companies use this technology for themselves and surprise all of us!
What are your thoughts on the AR digital trend in the market? Do you like it? Do you think there is scope to better it or use it in more innovative ways? Comment below with your thoughts!
Until next time, Aarushi
AR – Changing the Shopping Game Isn't it crazy how the way we shop today has completely transformed? Remember the good 'ol days when shopping would literally be a day out with family or friends and you'd just walk around the mall, looking at more and more options, touching and feeling the texture of things until you get just what you've been looking for!
