VR, AR, and Visual Search: Changing The Way We Shop

The introduction of eCommerce made waves in the world of traditional shopping, due to ease, speed, and convenience. Later on, the introduction of mobile commerce made waves in the world of eCommerce, and it was all for the same exact reasons. Before things even got a chance to cool down after mobile commerce entered the scene, in came AR, VR, and visual search. And yes, shopping as we know it is being rewritten again.

  • Augmented Reality
    Just as the name implies, these types of applications augment the reality of what shoppers see before them, so they can get a better understanding of the use of the product in their every day lives. For example, the software will show exactly how the outfit would look on the consumer, or how the sofa would physically look in their livingroom from different angles. This is a unique and very innovative shopping experience that cannot be duplicated, and is quickly getting adopted by multiple retailers.
  • Virtual Reality
    The best way to describe it is this: augmented reality brings the product to you, and virtual reality brings you to the product. VR technology has yet to be widely adopted in eCommerce, but there are a few services out there that provide VR shopping technology. Users would have to download the appropiate app, pair their smartphones with a compatible VR headset, and they will be able to virtually go through the halls of major retail and department stores. This technology is bound to pick up sooner than later, thanks to enhanced mobile broadband capacity and lower latency rates.
  • Visual Search
    This technology offers countless possibilities for online shoppers. In the world of eCommerce, you can look at visual search as a personal shopping assistant. For example, if you spot someone wearing an article of clothing you would really like for yourself, but have no idea what the style is called or where it can be found, you can use visual search technology to identify that and other similar styles for you. Best part is that it can all be done in an instant- major time saver!

The world of eCommerce is as ever-evolving as the tech scene in general, and we can’t wait to see how much further it goes in coming months.