One of the best things about online shopping is that you do it from the comfort of your home. It is convenient, stress-free, and easy. But one thing that online shopping cannot perform is the ability to try on sample products and check whether they will work for you. This is especially true for beauty products and shoes. The ever-considerate Internet lord, Google, has taken note of this problem and promised to fix it by letting users shop in AR (Augmented Reality).
The company’s blog reveals, “we’re making big improvements to AR shopping on Google to bring the most important part of a store — the product — to life.” The day is not far off when you can shop online and try products right where you are.
Google Tech: Shop in AR
The tech giant recognizes that cosmetics and beauty products are a lucrative industry, with market size estimated to be around $47.7 billion in 2022. Add to it personal care products, and the market size balloons up to $87.13 billion.
Google is, if nothing, amenable to data. The tech giant revealed that among online beauty shoppers, more than 60% have decided not to purchase a beauty or cosmetic item online because they didn’t know what color or shade to choose, and 41% have decided to return an item because it was the wrong shade.
Google’s answer to this problem is to bring superior tech into the game and allow users to shop in AR. If someone can “try” the product, the likelihood that they will buy the product increases exponentially.
AR shopping can raise revenues for the beauty industry, and Google relies on digital ad spending to increase its profits. Keeping the core user’s needs in mind, Google announced on November 17 that their new AR shopping feature would let beauty product shoppers find the best foundation match.
Beauty Products and AR Shopping
One of the most basic requirements of a makeup kit is the foundation. While shopping online, finding the right shade and product becomes especially challenging as users cannot try it. Skin color variations also dissuade shoppers from buying the beauty products they want.
Google is not leaving anything to chance!
According to Google, the new features that let consumers shop in AR have been developed with guidance from beauty brands.
Their new photo library features 148 models representing a diverse spectrum of skin tones, ages, genders, face shapes, ethnicities & skin types.
The AR shopping feature will let you pick products and see how it looks for models with similar skin tones. The database has hundreds of pictures with before and after looks, to enable you to make the right choice.
Statista notes that in 2021, personal care retail sales in the United States generated nearly $54 billion in e-commerce revenue. Google wants to help the brands and its profit sheet to look good, as this number is set to rise in the coming years.
After zeroing in on what you like, you can select a retailer to buy what you need, depending on your skin tone and budget.
The search engine leader is set to use 3D and AR to redefine how people shop on the Internet. Besides beauty products, you can also shop for sneakers with the AR feature.
Although Saucony, VANS, and Merrell are prominent, Google will add many more in the coming days. Research shows that shoppers engage with 3D imagery 50% in comparison to static images.
ART Labs states that over 100 million customers prefer AR shopping, and by next year 94% will use the facility where available. It is clear that Google does not want to lose to the competition, and as the “gatekeeper of the Internet,” it wants customers to stick around.
