Some of the largest retailers have been looking at augmented reality (AR) for years as one of those technology advancements with huge potential to reach shoppers who are constantly on their mobile devices, aiming to connect with shoppers while either in the store, or even while outside the store to bring them into the store. AR can touch everything from shopping aisles to product displays to even fully immersive stores, creating a series of virtual assets that retailers are experimenting with in a big way.
Retailers are exploring AR’s huge potential to boost sales, doing so by purposely blurring the lines between online, mobile and the real world. Since consumers visit physical stores to touch, feel and see products before making a purchase, there is no longer a clear line of differentiation for retailers looking into implement AR within the four walls.
And it goes beyond AR. Google has partnered with investors to put a reported USD500+ million investment into Magic Leap, which has filed patents for a device called a WRAP, a Star Trek like AR device with the space age sounding name standing for Waveguide Reflector Array Projector (WRAP), and shows how the tech giant aims to help change the way consumers purchase products through 3D in-store advertising and interactive entertainment.
(Source: CNBC)