Augmented reality’s growing role in retail

As part of Metaio’s month long focus on augmented reality’s growing role in retail, they have written a great post on Tesco’s innovative use of digital technology.

From in-store innovations using a variety of experimental technologies through to the much-referenced Tesco Homeplus virtual store subway campaign launched back in 2011, Tesco has long been a brand which embraces digital innovations as a way of building stronger connections with customers.

This investment in innovation is very much alive with the launch of the Tesco Discover augmented reality publishing platform in the Summer of 2013. The range of augmented reality experiences are covered in the post and the impact is well summarised here:

“The visualization, recognition, and scanning technologies each provide Tesco and its customers a convenient, seamless shopping experience, often in locations outside of the store. Augmented Reality helps bring the store to consumers wherever they are.

In the future, these types of Augmented Reality-powered experiences and technologies will become the norm, and as consumers, we’ll be able to shop how we want, where we want.”

The four week focus on augmented reality’s growing role in retail also includes a number of other references to projects created by Engine Creative. ‘Traditional and Internet Retailers Facing Off in Augmented Reality’ reviews the different multichannel approaches used by new online retailers as well as traditional bricks and mortar businesses and how they both benefit from augmented reality technology:

“…it will be interesting to see which generation of retailers will benefit the most: traditional retailers looking to innovate into digital, or the online world seeking a window into the lives of their customers in the real world.”

If you want to find new ways of connecting with your customers then the Metaio blog is definitely worth checking out over the coming weeks.