The furniture shopping dynamics continue to evolve across the world. In the US for instance, houses are shrinking in size and so is the furniture. People are looking for items that are more compact and versatile. You may also have noted that retail sales are increasingly becoming e-commerce-based. Younger shoppers are particularly fond of online shopping if data from the National Retail Federation is anything to go by.
It’s no wonder then that retailers, including the likes of Wayfair and Amazon, have taken the game to a new level with the application of augmented reality (AR) solutions. Not even those businesses that thrived in the brick-and-mortar environment are leaving anything to chance. The simple reason is that AR makes furniture shopping easier like you can attest from the personalization software for ecommerce.
We’ll now tell you how this is possible.
AR Makes It Easier To Reach Customers
In the past when there was no AR, some people were unable to reach the store hence they would not buy. Now with AR available, it is so easy to reach these people. One doesn’t have to physically visit the store to make an order. Businesses no longer have to worry about how far their clients are.
With AR apps, a furniture business can easily reach new target customers and even find previously unavailable ones. All the business needs to do is avail its apps to the customers, who will now try different furniture models from the company website. They don’t have to leave their locations to do this. This is the simple reason why Amazon, Target, and all the other large companies started using AR for their e-commerce business.
It Elevates the Buyer’s Confidence
We all know the guesswork that came with online shopping for larger stuff such as furniture. This missing link in the furniture shopping experience is no longer there thanks to the confidence boost from AR solutions. Through the visualization capability of AR, furniture customers get to visualize the item before ordering.
When the customer gets unlimited interaction with furniture through the AR app, they get the answers to most of the lingering questions. With the item blend with the rest of the room features? Is there enough space for the furniture?
As research can show, more customer confidence translates into a higher probability of making a sale. The fact that AR has raised customer confidence levels means that it can sway buying decisions, thus making furniture shopping easier.
Makes Product selection Fun
Augmented reality for the furniture industry has brought unmatched transformation in the way shoppers select products. If you have ever played design games, then you have an idea how this process is easy and enjoyable.
Most often than not, shoppers will check multiple products on the site, just out of curiosity and to feel the process. There are AI furniture models that the shopper can select. They can alter a few details, for instance, materials and color. When they direct the smartphone to any position in the space, the furniture model appears on the screen, together with another object.
As if that is not sensational enough, the shopper can smoothly move and alter the object until it fits into the space. Being an “interior designer” has made furniture shopping with AR so easy, and fun, especially when one can share the results with family and friends on social media.
Minimizes Product Returns
Retailers have always been anxious about one thing – product returns. Return cases prompt retailers to not only refund the shopper but also spend time and resources finding out what might have gone wrong. For online sales, the rate of product returns can be as high as 30%.
Some of the reasons shoppers say trigger returns are wrong sizes, wrong items, and inaccurate product descriptions. Whether from the perspective of the retailer or consumer, product returns can make shopping difficult.
Enter AR and the product return rate reduces remarkably. According to a report by Build.com, AR product visualization can help reduce the product return rate by 22%!
AR empowers shoppers with a more all-inclusive view of the furniture, even allowing them to virtually try out the furniture in their spaces. This reduces product return rates and makes the whole shopping process more enjoyable and easier for everyone involved.
In Conclusion
Augmented reality appears to be the in-thing for online furniture shopping and selling. With each passing day, more brands are opting to use AR to not only increase their profile but also increase their profitability.
If you are yet to adopt this technology for your online business, this would be the perfect moment. By linking with the right provider, you can deliver an immersive furniture shopping experience to your esteemed customers.
For more details about the Zolak visualization solution and how AR makes furniture shopping easier, do visit the Zolak site today.
