John Lewis eyes augmented reality adoption
High street chain looking to bring AR on board as a business tool, as new report suggests technology could boost UK retail market by £1bn a year
John Lewis has set its sights on investing in augmented reality to be used as a visualisation tool, as new research predicts the technology could boost the UK retail market by £1bn per year.
The high street chain, which invested in virtual interior design start-up company DigitalBridge last year, is looking to use AR to improve the customer journey by virtually placing products in customers homes before making a purchase.
“In areas like furniture and floor coverings we know that the majority of our customers shop across our website and our shops, and there is a long and considered journey to the point of purchase,” Christine Kasoulis, buying director for home in John Lewis, said.
“Customers want to see how a product will look in their own home – both for style and to understand scale.
“There is a gap at this point in the customer journey at the moment and it is one that visualisation tools will fill in the near future, helping a considered purchase to feel less complex.”
John Lewis has previously experimented with AR at its flagship store in London, with its front window transformed into an interactive cinematic experience for people walking by.
A recent report commissioned by DigitalBridge suggests the UK’s retail market could be boosted by as much as £1bn a year if consumers were given access to virtual and augmented reality platforms.
It found that more than a third of consumers have walked away from making purchases in the last 12 months after consumers could not imagine what products, including furniture, wallpaper and new flooring, would look like in their homes.