Chewy’s first use of augmented reality with their virtual Halloween Boutique
Chewy
In the race to create relatable experiences for the consumer with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), eCommerce companies have embraced mixed reality technology.
In 2021, a Bizrate Insights for eMarketer report said that even though just ten percent of US adults said they used AR or VR to shop, but a March 2021 report from Shopify data showed that interacting with products with AR had a 94% higher conversion rate than products with no AR.
Oliver Wright, global lead of Consumer Goods and Services at Accenture says that over the last few years AR has started to take off with many consumer brands using immersive technologies to create experiences that are engaging and fun.
Snapchat began experimenting with AR in 2016 with Lenses, and in 2018 the company added a buy button to a Nike AR Lens. In May 2021, MAC Cosmetics and AR introduced shoppable AR lenses and that same month, the company announced that Snapchatters would soon be able to try on clothes and jewelry.
Chewy, the online pet store thinks it’s time for pets to have the same experiences with AR. Chewy’s new Fur-tual Boutique is the first AR experience: a full-body-try-on where dogs and cats can virtually dress up in Halloween costumes.
Kathy Neumann, vice president of integrated marketing at Chewy, said this is the first time the company has tried AR on its platform.
“With the deployment of this AR technology, we introduced the first-ever solution to help pet parents visualize their dogs and cats in our top Frisco Halloween costume styles,” said Neumann.
Neumann says the company wanted to elevate the shopping experience so pet parents can preview costumes on their pets before they purchase them.
“Immersive consumer technology is an increasingly growing trend to enhance the customer journey with product visualization before purchasing,” said Neumann. “AR has digitally transformed the retail industry at large, with several globally recognized brands recently adopting this technology.”
“With so many people within easy reach of a smartphone, consumers are more open than ever to trying new digital tools,” added Wright.
Neumann added that outside of Snapchat filters for pets’ faces, AR for pets is a nascent category, including any platform that can recognize the entire body of a pet.
“This is the first-ever AR experience for pets to virtually try on apparel and costumes,” said Neumann.
Wright adds that Covid-19 pressed a giant fast-forward button on all things virtual.
“A once fun-to-have feature, AR has quickly become an important digital tool for consumer brands,” said Wright. “In a competitive market, an AR campaign can be that differentiator that helps a brand to stand out.”
