The augmented reality application is designed to make online shopping more convenient.
Mountain Hardwear, subsidiary Columbia Sportswear Company, which specializes in the production of various products for tourism and active lifestyles, has introduced a mobile application designed to help customers choose the product they need using augmented reality (AR) technology.
The Mountain Hardwear app was designed for outdoor enthusiasts who are always asking questions like "how big is this item" when shopping online. So, if you want to buy a tent, but do not know how it will look in reality and what size it will be, then just use the mobile application using AR technology to view this tent in detail right in your room. Once a product is selected, users can rotate it around, change colors, replace or remove individual items, and then go to the company's website to make a purchase.
While many other retailers use augmented reality just to share funny promotional messages, the Mountain Hardwear app is designed to make online shopping more convenient. However, this company is far from being the first; previously, the AR capabilities when choosing bulky and expensive goods have already been appreciated by customers of Ikea, Wayfair, and even Target.
Rendering for AR in the Mountain Hardwear app was done with the participation of Transparent House creative agency. The app is currently only available for iOS and only for US residents.
Recently it became known that the analytical company Gartner conducted a survey, the purpose of which was to assess the interest of various retailers in the active implementation of AR. And nearly half of the vendors surveyed said they plan to implement the technology as early as next year. It is also reported that more than 140 companies, including retailers, have formed a research group whose goal is to improve the standards for 3D images used for shopping with AR.
