Augmented reality is becoming a very popular tool for retailers in the UK. British department store Debenhams recently launched a new campaign that uses the technology to let shoppers try on clothes. While it is not the first retailer to use augmented reality in such a way, Debenhams certainly put a new twist to their initiative. The retailer created a mobile app for iPhones and iPads that turned some of the UK’s historic monuments into virtual dressing rooms.
Five of the UK’s most famed historic sites were inundated with shoppers eager to make use of the new app during the latter weeks of October. The sites themselves typically attract thousands of visitors daily, but Debenhams drove more traffic to the area by offering a 20% discount to those using their app to try on clothes. The app used augmented reality to superimpose the image of clothes onto shoppers, who could then upload the image to Facebook and Twitter.
Debenhams refers to the campaign as a “pop-up” store – a concept that has become very popular in the advent of augmented reality technology. The technology allows retailers to, essentially, open a virtual store wherever they please. These stores can be access from a smart phone that can recognize augmented reality displays. With AR becoming more popular, more retailers may adopt the concept of pop-up stores, which have already become successful with consumers.
