100M to be shopping in AR by 2020 – Gartner

A 2018 Gartner survey indicated that, by 2020, 46% of retailers planned to deploy either AR or VR (virtual reality) solutions to meet customer service experience requirements. 

Additionally, the technologies behind these solutions have moved 15 to 30% further along the Gartner Hype Cycle over the past 12 months.

“Retailers are under increasing pressure to explain the purpose of physical stores, and take control of the fulfilment and return process for cross-channel execution,” said Hanna Karki, principal research analyst at Gartner. “At the same time, consumers are progressively defining the value provided by the experiences they receive from retailers. As a result of these pressures, retailers are turning to AR and VR to offer customers a unified retail experience inside and outside retail stores.”

Cost reduction 

With VR’s immersive interfaces, retailers can create task efficiencies or reduce the costs associated with designing new products. They can also enhance the understanding of information through advanced graphical visualisation and simulation technologies. 

“The impact of AR or VR in retail can be transformative,” added Karki. “Retailers can use AR as an extension of the brand experience to engage customers in immersive environments and drive revenue.”