More and more retail firms are looking at how to use immersive technologies to improve their business. This is particularly true of both augmented reality (AR) and the American market. Previously on VRFocus we’ve brought to you a number of stories as to deals, partnerships and experimentation from some of America’s biggest names in retail. Even earlier today we reported on Mastercard teaming up with ODG and Qualcomm for an AR related retail app. But companies like Apple and IKEA, Redbubble, Lowe‘s (on numerous occasions) and QVC have all looked to AR as a new way to improve the shopping experience.
The latest outlet to join the AR space in retailer Target. They are launching a launching something that is becoming an increasingly familiar site. A new AR help tool that will allow you to see your would-be purchases in your home so you can check whether or not they look out of place or not. After all, when you’re buying something as big and expensive as furniture a mistake can be a costly and frustrating one.
Called See It In Your Space, shoppers looking to snap up something from Target‘s new Project 62 line of home furnishings can take a photo of the space in their home then arrange a 3D representation of the product to your preferred location and scale to see if it really would be a talking point of your room – or alternatively be something you’d have to hide from the neighbours. It’s a limited run in terms of the number of goods available for now, but Target have confirmed that it is just the beginning of what is to come. And that the functionality “will roll out to hundreds of more products by the end of the year and thousands of more products in 2018.”
A spokesperson from Target spoke to TechCrunch on what the plans were for See It In Your Space.
“We developed the interface on mobile web first because we wanted to reach a wider audience more quickly.” They explained. “We also feel like by using mobile web, it’s a simple experience – guests can easily snap pictures using their phone, they don’t have to use any additional hardware or apps. We just felt like it was a really straightforward experience.”
VRFocus will bring you further news on AR in the retail space very soon.