All eyes on Zadar Ventures Ltd. as retail shops adapt to the new normal by using augmented reality

A few years ago, the Visualizer app from Bruguer made waves in the consumer market when it showed us that we could choose the color for our walls and see the real-time results. It was all done with the help of augmented reality (AR). It was new and exciting, as it allowed us to see a realistic impression of how a room might look like without having to use even a single drop of paint. For Zadar Ventures Ltd. (TSXV: ZAD, OTC: ZADDF) acquisition target XRApplied, who delivers AR, virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) solutions for businesses, it was a smart move for the Bruguer brand—not only was it able to reach a lot of its customer base, it was also a forward-thinking decision at a time when everybody else is still obsessed with traditional media.

Then, later on, along came Maisons du Monde’s 3D at Home app, where customers can choose from the interior decoration firm’s 600 products and visualize them directly in their own home, giving them a chance to furnish a room before spending hundreds of dollars. Users can also make 3D plans as well as have access to interior decorating advice.

Back then, both of these apps are a novelty and people might think it only has a certain audience, and not everyone would need the help of AR in their daily lives. However, as we all begin to adapt to our new normal because of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that this technology is needed now more than ever.

Virtual stores

BoConcept’s online shop is open 24 hours a day—it allows you to browse the showroom, look for inspiration, discover the latest products and personalize them, buy them and receive them at home. Visitors can also contact the BoConcept interior designers for advice, or develop a complete project via mobile phone—without moving from the sofa.

According to Maximiliano Ovalle, marketing director of the Danish brand, when it comes to buying furniture, it’s not enough to just look at a photo online and hit the buy button. That’s why BoConcept’s new showroom offers an immersive experience through a virtual tour, which allows you to interact with the brand’s advisors, move around the space, and see the objects in detail.

Other firms such as Bang&Olufsen, which has always been known for showing a careful aesthetic in each of its audiovisual equipment, now offers their own AR app called B&O AR Experience. It helps users to visualize the company’s products in different spaces and rooms of their own home. The technology can analyze the room environment using the camera on your mobile phone, identify floors and walls and virtually position B&O products in the way that best suits you.

XRApplied believes that this kind of strategy is a smart way to stand out and do things differently. The company, which provides AR solutions, wants businesses to think about the potential purchasing power of browsers. If their motivations and reasons for buying are understood and met, then they can be transformed into paying customers.

The power of AR should not be underestimated, and XRApplied has the means to help companies showcase their products in a way that saves costs and boosts engagements as well as conversion rates.

AR-powered shopping

Since everyone is still very much encouraged to shelter in place, our home has become the only place where we can spend most of our days. It has become a space for leisure and rest, as well as work and study. In effect, this has caused us to value more the environment in which we live, and to reflect on how to transform it to make the most of our living spaces.

Apps that make use of AR have been around for quite a few years, but outside professional use, they have not been really successfully adopted by the masses. However, at this point in time when we are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, more people are starting to see the potential in the possible uses of AR.

XRApplied is one of the advocates who consider the deep data analytics provided by AR apps as paramount in understanding consumer needs. If we have more brands who will be keen to adopt an AR-powered shopping approach, then it will surely help keep businesses alive while also observing the safety of customers.

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(Featured image by fauxels via Pexels)

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