Zara will introduce augmented reality displays in April, in an effort to lure millennials into its stores. The fashion retailer hopes the increased engagement will offset any losses they experience due to the online shopping habits of this age group. This marketing tactic is not proven, however AR has gained popularity in the past few years and is positioned to be a go-to marketing tool in the near future. From furniture companies to clothing companies and car companies – the uses of AR for featuring products are endless.
The AR features include showing models wearing selected looks from its ranges when a mobile phone is held up to a sensor within a store or designated shop windows and allows customers to click through to buy the clothes. Zara’s AR displays will be introduced in 120 stores worldwide starting April 18. The technology will also enable models to pop up on packages of online purchases delivered to customers, showing alternative outfits.
H&M, the well-known rival of Zara, is also investing in technology for enhanced customer engagement, it said at an investors’ day in February.
“It is now very rare in the physical stores-based part of the retail sector to find companies not disrupted by online,” Anne Critchlow, of Societe Generale. Zara Stores Target Millennials With Augmented Reality Displays
