The London-based concept store, Machine-A, recently announced a new era of shopping. Through augmented reality, the company is recreating some of the in-person experiences that have grown less common during the age of the pandemic.
The virtual store is a new development for multi-brand retailers, and it was developed with support from the Institute of Digital Fashion, to align with London Fashion Week. Machine-A showcased the work of leading designers like Richard Quinn and Martine Rose, to improve visibility during a time when fashion shows are frequently limited to the digital world.
To enter the store, users need to scan a QR code which creates a digital rendering of the sales floor, complete with insights into the latest Autumn and Winter 2021 collections.
Bringing AR Into Retail
Extended reality solutions are no longer a nice-to-have function within the transforming marketplace. Today’s consumers need new ways to interact with brands in an environment where traditional store visits aren’t possible. Already, L’Oréal, Gucci, and similar companies have offered AR-powered solutions that allow users to try on their products. AR could be an important way to help brands and retailers delover experiences in a genuine and emotive way.
According to the Founder of Machine-A, Stavros Karelis, it’s important to discover new ways of engaging with customers and the wider fashion community. The brand wanted to build awareness for the designers they were working with in a time when stores are shut.
Experts believe that greater connectivity and 5G could propel the AR environment into the mainstream. Consumer use of these solutions is also on the rise, with 71% of people saying they would shop more often with help from AR tools.
AR innovations will also allow independent designers to get in front of customers following the impact of the pandemic. For Machine-A, the move to AR could be a practical solution for inspiring and connecting with customers.
Building Connections with the Community
AR Builds a closer bond between consumers and brands. It’s difficult to achieve a similar level of engagement with any other technology, particularly when video presentations are growing increasingly common. The advancement of digital functions, like the instant detection of surfaces, relative scale, and lighting estimation, means that today’s AR experiences are more realistic, immersive, and accessible for customers of all sizes.
A decade ago, AR might have been a gimmicky concept for the fashion landscape. However, today, the digital representation of garments and other products is much better. AR is already proving itself to be a valuable way of encouraging more browsing from customers, fewer returns, and higher conversion rates. According to Julie Ask, the Principal Analyst and VP of Forrester, AR experiences could be a powerful solution for all kinds of companies going forward.
In the future, we could see more organisations investing in AR and VR technology to reach their audience on another level. Live events and product launches delivered through XR are set to transform the retail sector as we know it.
