Adding a New Dimension to Retail Sectors With AR and VR Technology
by Natasha Christou Digital Marketing ConsultantThe scope of
application for virtual reality systems is constantly progressing, helped along
by the ever-advancing digital age. Many household retail brands have taken heed
of this, incorporating the technology into their strategies in order to
innovate and stay ahead. With the UK’s dwindling high street dominating
headlines for months, some of the most recognised names are beginning to defy
this status quo, with the help of technology.
Mixed reality
solutions are adding a new dimension to many sectors. First in this series, we
will explore how they are enhancing areas of the retail industry, with an
insight into future trends.
Why VR has emerged in retail
Many brands are
pushing the boundaries in terms of marketing strategies, competing for
customers in a congested market. There’s also another pressing factor which has
pushed retailers across all subsectors to innovate — the shrinking UK high
street. Plagued by closures, the UK’s plight to save stores and sales is only
growing. With the latest consumer fixation over the value of ‘customer
experience software’, the characteristics of VR proved complementary to this
demand and those at the helm of the retail industry have noted this.
By immersing customers
with a 360 degrees experience, they can essentially live within a campaign and
experience a brand’s vision for their product. Virtual reality is also suited
to the ever decreasing attention span of a younger audience, with Generation Z
having a rapid window of eight
seconds — so making an impression matters more than ever. By its
very nature, virtual reality is far more impactful for the user, allowing
brands to take their customers on a simulated journey. As a result, more and
more retailers are innovating their strategies, bringing them in line with an
approach where creating experiences is key. Mixed reality solutions are adding
new layers of customer engagement to the retail sector.
Let’s take a look
through some of the most prominent VR moments throughout the fashion,
automotive, and food and drinks retail sectors.
Automotive
The automotive
industry is an integral part of UK finances, worth around a £82 billion in
turnover and adding a staggering £18.6 billion in value to the economy. The
sector has welcomed a whole host of VR and AR technologies to further advance
the everyday automotive market. Plus, consumers are gradually engaging more
with these concepts, overhauling the conventional car-buying experience.
The traditional
dealership has evolved into a digital showroom through the use of VR, making it
a more immersive, interactive way for customers to shop. For example, simultaneous
localization and mapping technology (SLAM) can depict 360-degree vehicle
visualization, allowing customers to view potential options before making a
purchase. Automotive retailers are also enhancing the aftercare incentives of
their vehicles, through intelligent systems such as Swedish motoring giant
Volkswagens’ VR facility MARTA
which enables servicing employees to carry out maintenance checks in a smarter
way.
As the coveted
manufacturer at the forefront of innovation, Tesla
has implemented a VR/AR approach onto its production line, boosting accuracy
throughout the manufacturing process. Everything from manufacturing methods to
safety and performance of vehicles sold is being supported by VR, while also
making tasks simpler.
Fashion
As we’ve touched upon,
the fashion retail industry has been hit by the economic downturn which has
spelled both store closures and restructuring processes. With the physical
nature of the high street being a key element in its overall downfall, the
digital space has superseded traditional shopping, triggering an ecommerce
boom. However, technology such as virtual and augmented reality could be the
fundamental lifeline for the quintessential British high street. It has the
scope to strike up a blend between the physical and digital aspects of offline
fashion retailing.
The term ‘flagship
store’ has collided with the digital age, informed and advanced by virtual and
augmented reality which has pushed brand marketers to equip their customer’s shopping
experience with something new. Omnichannel shopping is a key aspect of this,
demanding more from customer experience and KPIs. The high street favourite
Zara used mixed reality to represent its merger of offline and online
marketing, from handheld devices helping stock availability and an augmented
feature on its app. With the app, customers can use their phone cameras to
capture store displays and windows, which creates motion sequences of models
wearing the products in the picture. VR and AR are increasingly adding a new
dimension to an activity as simple as a shopping trip, breathing a new lease of
life into it with the latest cutting-edge technology.
Food and drinks
There’s a great deal
of precision required when it comes to factory operations in the food and
drinks sector. With multiple prolific examples of cross contamination, food
poisoning, and allergy labelling hitting headlines, manufacturers have a duty
of care and responsibility to consumers. However, mixed
reality solutions are being developed to meet the sensitivity of
these environments, while also adhering to the limiting
legislation which surrounds tackling things such as pathogens in the
production line. One of the most refined approaches yet has been the TraXR
system, pioneered by the Newcastle based mixed reality specialists Luminous
Group. TraXR is designed to track and identify the presence of pathogens in
food and beverage factories, while also actively preventing outbreaks of
anything from listeria to salmonella. The technology functions through a mixed
reality headset and utilizes mapped visualizations of the factory environment
to record any findings.
Coca-Cola is also steering forward with a similar
augmented reality approach, creating an immersive experience for users. The
project fuses AR with simple storytelling and 3D animations, accessed by the
camera on a smart device. Coca-Cola demonstrate the effectives of creating
these AR simulations, as they were able to target a variety of audience age
brackets by tailoring the augmented ‘story’ content accordingly — amalgamating
the effectiveness of both traditional and modern marketing approaches in the
sector.
Mixed reality,
augmented reality and virtual reality are all exciting formats to be embraced
by brands. Within the retail sector they have proven effective in
revolutionising a wide range of activities, from the simple shopping trip to
safeguarding the production line.
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Created on Dec 4th 2019 06:14. Viewed 500 times.