Popular Brands Using AR & Ecommerce Configurators

Many of today’s most reputable brands are utilizing new technologies to showcase their products and increase sales conversions. Let’s explore which brands are using AR and ecommerce configurators to exceed consumer and industry expectations.

IKEA was one of the earliest movers in the AR, 3D space. In 2017, the brand launched its IKEA Place app, which allows customers to take IKEA products and put them in their own homes. This gives customers a more realistic idea of how the furniture will fit into their home without having to actually visit the store and make a purchase. 

More than 2,000 products were available in IKEA Place at launch. The technology is so precise that it can adjust how light and shadows impact the appearance of the furniture in a given room. Here’s how it works: customers record a space in their home with their iPhone or iPad, allowing the application to scan the area.

Once the user has browsed the selection of products and made a choice, they can drag and drop the furniture into a given spot. The application also has the ability to save customers favorite products, share their selections on social media and allows for direct purchases through the IKEA site.

This new technology has transformed the online sales process for the company. “Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster,” according to the leader of digital transformation at IKEA Michael Valdsgaard in a 2017 press releases.

Another industry benefiting from the creation of these new technologies is the motorbike industry. Following the pandemic, Triumph Motorcycles saw the need to elevate its digital store. The brand’s Global Head of Digital, Andy Jackson, noticed that customers were looking for more reasons to move their purchase decisions forward online as opposed to in store. To ensure that Triumph provided customers with the necessary tools, they looked to CGI and 3D configuration to upgrade their site. 

In January 2020, Triumph launched its configurator in 26 markets, which gave users the power to design and customize their bikes, choose engine size, and make additional detailed changes to bike accessories. Aside from its practical benefits to the customer, the configurator provides valuable customer data about preferences. This gives Triumph a detailed customer profile that was not as easy to acquire without the configurator tool. Given the high level of complexity in motorbike manufcaturing, digital technologies like this can simplify the presentation of the product in a digital store.

3D technologies and AR have completely changed the interior design industry. Home remodeling can be a very straining process for both the consumer and the designer, as it is difficult to make decisions that are not easily reversible. Augmented Reality has eased this tension for consumers, giving them the power to see designs in their homes before any of the actual remodeling takes place. Houzz Pro was originally developed in April 2020, but was recently upgraded with an AR function in 2022. 

With the latest version, Houzz designers can add mood boards, paint swatches and product catalogs into a given Houzz Pro project. The space comes together within the app for the customer to view. What is most impressive is the app’s ability to then transfer the proposed floor plan into the customer’s own space at home, using an iPhone camera. This is only made possible by AR, CGI and similar tools. 

Another brand using AR and taking advantage of CGI tools is Dulux, the UK’s leading paint brand. Serving a similar purpose to that of IKEA and Houzz’s applications, Dulux’s Visualizer App offers a whole new experience for customers.

The brand’s focus with this initiative was giving customer’s more freedom to discover and choose colors from almost anywhere. With the visualizer app, users can scan almost anything, such as a sweater or a flower outside, and get the exact color from those objects.

Then, using augmented reality, the app allows customers to see the color in their space and even save the image for later or to share with family and friends. As seen with other companies, Dulux’s app also connects directly to its digital store so users can easily order samples and make purchases.

Augmented reality and CGI has also proved valuable in the motor vehicle industry. Fiat customers, similar to those of Triumph, are tasked with making an expensive purchase decision.

Buying a motorized vehicle of any kind has a price, and customers can be hesitant to make a decision without having seen the product. This proposes a challenge for online stores in this industry. Fortunately, digital technologies can give customers this unique opportunity to “test-drive” a Fiat car without actually leaving the showroom.

Augmented Reality allows customers to interact with a virtual version of the Fiat product. They can even make changes to the interior, including dashboard styles and upholstery colors. 

The possibilities for Augmented Reality and CGI tools are limitless. Retailers like IKEA and Triumph have only touched the surface with these technologies, and the industry is only expected to grow in the coming years. The latest AR/VR market forecasts expect the industry will earn $13.8 billion in 2022 and grow to $50.9 billion in 2026. With these predictions, now is clearly the time for your business to adopt these innovations. Continuously acquiring the newest technologies will give your team the resources to provide customers with the best experience and boost sales. 

If you would like to learn how CGI and AR can help your business, please send our team at In2Real a message today. Our experienced designers and developers are available to assist you as you take the first step towards digitizing your business model.