Integrating augmented reality (AR) into fashion retail offers customers an engaging shopping experience. While AR is relatively new in the fashion world, it’s transforming how consumers browse and purchase clothing, jewelry, makeup, and accessories. AR has the potential to significantly drive sales and achieve business objectives for retailers. Studies show 71% of shoppers would shop more often using AR apps, and 40% would pay more for products they can test in AR. This makes AR a compelling tool for reaching potential fashion app customers. This article will explore how fashion brands use AR to enhance the customer experience and attract potential app users.
AR allows for virtual try-on (VTO) experiences, where customers can virtually wear or sample products. VTO superimposes a virtual product onto the customer’s image, showing how items would fit and look. This technology is often used in social media filters and offers two primary applications in retail: personal devices (smartphones, tablets) via apps or web browsers, and virtual fitting rooms with digital mirrors and smart displays.
Image source: H&M Group
H&M, for instance, launched a virtual clothing line contest, allowing winners to “try on” digital garments via styled animated images. This innovative approach demonstrates how AR can engage potential customers through gamification and interactive experiences within a fashion app. Digital fashion, created with 3D and animation software, allows users to “wear” outfits through avatars, AR experiences, and edited photos.
Burberry partnered with Google to allow customers searching for specific products to view them in 3D directly in search results. This expanded their reach to potential new customers who could visualize products more realistically before purchasing. This strategy highlights the importance of integrating AR into existing platforms to reach a wider audience of potential fashion app users.
Image source: Burberry PLC.
Burberry also uses AR in global campaigns to connect with its target audience. An AR app feature allowed users to incorporate artist Danny Sangra’s drawings into their photos, fostering brand engagement and user-generated content. Such creative AR applications can attract potential customers to a fashion app by offering unique and shareable experiences.
Zalando’s “Try On” feature in Snapchat lets users virtually try on clothes from the retailer’s brands by uploading a full-body photo. This example illustrates how partnering with established platforms like Snapchat can expose a fashion app’s AR capabilities to a broader user base. The realistic virtual try-on, coupled with the social sharing aspect of Snapchat, can significantly attract potential customers.
Image source: Zalando
Adidas utilizes AR for virtual try-on of footwear through its app and in pop-up campaigns showcasing sustainability initiatives. Customers can visualize how shoes look on their feet, increasing purchase confidence. Showcasing sustainability through AR experiences resonates with environmentally conscious consumers, a growing segment of potential fashion app users.
Image source: MarketingDive
AR increases customer loyalty through personalization, reduced purchase uncertainty, gamification, social sharing, and seamless integration across channels. These features enhance the customer experience, foster stronger brand connections, and encourage repeat business, ultimately attracting and retaining potential fashion app customers. By offering unique value and engaging experiences, fashion apps utilizing AR can effectively capture a loyal user base.
