How Augmented Reality Supports Mobile Shopping

| Retail

scan barcode from package

In the age of e-commerce giants like Amazon and eBay, many retail brands struggle to provide customized, innovative shopping experiences for customers. Today’s shoppers expect fast and seamless ordering processes—which is why brick-and-mortar retailers across the world are turning to solutions featuring augmented reality (AR). By enhancing your mobile shopping app with augmented reality capabilities, you can dramatically improve shopping experiences and compel customers to purchase items more frequently. Read on to learn why investing in AR-enabled mobile apps is so important, and how it can drive retail customer engagement for your brand.

As a leader in mobile computer vision, Scandit software enables leading retailers worldwide to use augmented reality features to create better shopping experiences. Our proprietary mobile data capture solution transforms modern smart devices into enterprise-grade barcode scanners, empowering customers with intuitive shopping tools that make ordering (and reordering) products effortless. Today, we’ll be walking you through how augmented reality features can optimize mobile shopping—and how you can implement an innovative customer-focused solution into your retail enterprise.

What Is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality is a technology that combines computer-generated assets with real-world environments. From basic text notifications and highlights to complex operation instructions, AR displays make it easier for users to understand and execute processes. As you might expect, many retailers leverage AR technology to support their in-store staff. For example, sales associates supported by AR functionality can access important product or customer data in real time, allowing them to better support the requests and needs of customers. Augmented reality can also be used to support order picking, shelf management, mobile shopping and many other retail use cases.

The New Age of Mobile Shopping

Thanks to innovations in mobile computer vision and augmented reality for retailers, modern smart devices can be used to scan product barcodes in seconds, creating new mobile shopping opportunities for customers. While shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, customers can instantly order and arrange pickup information for products with a few taps on their smartphone—avoiding the hassle of in-store checkouts and transporting items to their home. This solution is even more effective with the addition of AR technology, which can be used to inform consumers on the status and specific details of scanned products.

Let’s say a customer wants to purchase a new desk for their home office. They’ve looked online to get a grasp of the pricing and quality of different options, but want to see these products in person before committing to one. After shopping around at the retailer’s physical store, the customer selects their favorite item for checkout. But instead of wasting time waving down store employees and asking for product specifics, they simply pull out their smartphone, open the retailer’s mobile shopping app, and snap a picture of the desk’s product barcode.

A moment later, a handful of simple AR displays populate on the device’s screen, detailing the item’s current availability and pricing. The app uses this specific customer’s information to pull up relevant deals and offers they’re eligible for. After confirming their purchase, the customer arranges pickup information and receives an email acknowledging their order. No long checkout lines or stressful transportation; just fast, efficient and satisfying shopping.

The Perks of AR-Enabled Mobile Shopping

Exceptional customer experiences aren’t the only benefit AR-enabled mobile shopping can bring to your enterprise. This unique retail technology can give your team detailed insights into the purchasing behaviors of customers—and harness that information to engage with them at the right times and in the right ways. As a result, mobile shopping can be used to increase customer satisfaction and create new sales opportunities for your enterprise.

An AR-powered mobile shopping app makes the ordering process effortless, with no need to type or search for items online. Whether customers are in your brick-and-mortar locations or not, they can easily order more of the products they want—while your team tracks their purchasing habits and adapts its retail engagement efforts accordingly.

A Scandit-powered Mobile Shopping App Featuring AR

Scandit’s Barcode Scanner SDK is a revolutionary retail solution for Android, Windows, iOS, Linux and other platforms. This advanced software transforms nearly any modern smart device into an enterprise-grade barcode scanner, allowing it to process damaged, blurry or poorly lit codes with ease. With the SDK’s leading-edge scanning performance, shoppers can effortlessly complete mobile orders using their smart device—fostering more consistent and intuitive shopping experiences.

The SDK’s MatrixScan feature brings robust AR capabilities to any Scandit-powered application, increasing the efficiency and flexibility of enterprise data capture operations. Not only can MatrixScan enable smart devices to locate, track and decode multiple barcodes simultaneously, but it can also provide visual feedback and displays to inform and empower customers. Users can leverage SDK-powered shopping apps to find product details and relevant promotions (via AR overlays) with a single scan. This ensures that shoppers find the best deal for their money and builds trust in your brand, nurturing customer loyalty and retention.

From mobile shopping and shelf management to clienteling, our Barcode Scanner SDK improves the retail experience for customers and employees alike. If you’re looking for a technology that pushes your in-store shopping experience to the next level, then the SDK is a natural choice. But don’t just take our word for it; check out these retail case studies to see how Scandit technology helps leading retailers drive efficiency, sales and better customer experiences across the board.

Enhance Your Mobile Shopping App With Scandit

Ready to learn more about augmented reality and how your team can leverage it to enhance retail engagement and sales? Then be sure to contact Scandit today. Our team of computer vision experts can teach you everything you need to know about AR for retailers—and the best ways to implement this technology into your daily workflows. Also, feel free to connect with us for more information on our mobile shopping solutions and the advantages they can bring to your enterprise.