The augmented reality (AR) is becoming more and more fundamental to it shopping online: al Netcomm Forum 2022, Snap (the parent company of Snapchat) proves it with numbers. According to the studies presented by the company, by 2025, 75% of people will use AR on a regular basis. And already today, 190 million people on Snapchat use augmented reality for shopping every day. An increasing trend.
Snap is how augmented reality makes shopping easier
At the Netcomm Forum 2022 we had the opportunity to hear the interventions of Andre JoelHead of Sales Partnerships IE, Southern EU and Africa, IMS e di Alessandra Novali, Country Lead Italy, IMS. Joel immediately wanted to start giving us the proportions of the impact of AR in the lives of more and more consumers.
Everyday, 250 million people use Snapchat. About 600 million per month, of which 40 million in Italy. And all these people then use the Lenses of the social network, share them with friends, use them to create funny photos and videos of all kinds. But the 74% of them use them for shopping every day.
In fact, many users use the Lenses created by fashion brands to try on clothes, using Snap’s body tracking technology to see how the shirt or shoes fit them. The same goes for brands in the world of cosmetics, such as M.A.C. Cosmetics. Think that 1.3 million people have tried a lipstick or other makeup with augmented reality, greatly multiplying sales.
For many people, augmented reality becomes a way to try on clothes, accessories and much more. For companies it becomes a sales multiplier. But also an important saving. In fact, on average, by implementing AR companies have 25% less product returns. All the convenience of online but the safety of purchasing in-store purchases.
The news for companies
Leon and Novali also summarized the news recently announced at the Snap Partner Summit, where the company presented important tools for every type of business. Among these is fundamental AR Imageswhich allows you to transform the photographic catalog of an e-commerce into Lenti to wear and try on for customers. Something really convenient for retailers and also for individual brands.
Dress Up instead it allows Snapchatters to have under occhio the entire Lenses catalog of a brand, so you can find the accessory or dress you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for all the Gucci shoes or all the Ralph Lauren polo shirts, you simply have to look for it among the Lenses available to be able to try the entire catalog with the AR.
And you don’t even need to do it inside Snapchat: with Camera Kit for AR Shopping you can implement Snapchat Lenses in any retailer or brand mobile application. And soon (expected within the year) a version for the browser should also arrive.
Using AR, Novali explained to us that the “visual attention” aumenta del 2x: once users use an AR Lens, they are twice as attentive to content. The conversion leading to the purchase improves by 94%.
AR Lenses can be used both to create real “branding moments“With targeted campaigns or on the occasion of product launches. But they can also be used for seasonal products, for example in the fashion sector for seasonal changes. This allows companies to bring new interactions throughout the year, supporting ‘special’ moments but helping customers make choices all year round.
To take advantage of the great possibility of AR, there are several possibilities: even starting with the free use of Lens Studio. But automatic catalog conversion to AR and in-app integration (and sites tomorrow) are one interesting proposition for many companies. Snap explained to the Netcomm Forum 2022 that he is increasingly working directly with companies to offer a truly personalized product to the maximum.
You can find more information on the company’s website.