Revolution of Online Shopping Continues: Boucheron Commits to Augmented Reality

Yes, this is another post about Augmented Reality! I do apologies for the continued theme, but it seems every day another retail company announces that they are adopting the technology to improve sales. This time it's exclusive high end jewellers Boucheron who has joined the ever growing list. With the application, online users are able to virtually ‘try on’ over 20 of the French jewellers most iconic pieces, including the Chameleon ring and the Reflex Medium watch, all from the comfort of their own homes. You can try the application out for yourself by visiting http://www.myboucheron.com/myboucheron_int_EN.html

Holition, who once again developed the software, provides incredible detail in the app. Every diamond, sapphire and ruby can be closely inspected by the user with the onscreen zooming options. The 3D element ensures that users can check all angles and edges of the product before making the decision whether to purchase the item. The application also allows users to take still pictures of themselves with the desired product, which can then be easily shown to friends via email, or uploaded directly to social networking sites where friends can comment.

What today’s announcement brings

Today’s announcement is a clear example that the world of online shopping as we know it is changing. When it comes to shopping, I’m seemingly caught between a rock and a hard place. From Monday to Thursday, I just don’t have the time or the energy to go out shopping. By the time I get home from work and have a glass of beer with dinner, it’s already eight o’clock and my eyes are getting heavy. Then there are the weekends. Most of the time I simply cannot deal with the madness that is the shopping centre, where mothers leave prams in aisles, and the smell of fast food is only briefly overshadowed by the woman wearing too much perfume. Then you meet the overly happy shop assistant who insists on following you around every square inch of the shop floor asking if you need any help. Quite frankly, I can think of better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Then there’s the problem of the falseness of online shopping. I have an item in mind that I want to buy, a new watch say. I click on various websites and find the one I want so I click ‘add to basket’ and the process is over. Needless to say when the package arrives I’m disappointed. The small pattern on the back is not to my liking, and it just doesn’t look good on my wrist. The three business days’ wait I endured has been wasted and I’m left feeling typically frustrated as I send the item back.

Boucheron, on the other hand, has picked up on this customer dissatisfaction and has joined others in adopting Augmented Reality to solve these grievances that we, the customer, have. With AR, we can now see what the product looks like from every angle, as well as see what it will look like on us, without the hassle of stepping foot in a department store.

Future Possibilities for Boucheron

Thus far, Boucheron has committed itself to using AR technology in regard to watches and rings, but the end of the road has not yet been reached. Future schemes could well include a necklace version, whereby users can see exactly how a necklace would look on them before purchasing, as well as a model that allows users to virtually ‘try on’ sunglasses at home.

I believe the greatest possibility for development, however, is to incorporate a scheme that allows users to ‘try on’ earrings. Due to hygienic reasons, consumers are currently unable to actually test earrings before purchasing them. With Augmented Reality, however, users can see exactly what the product looks like on them beforehand, something which should be considered beneficial.

Of course, this technology is not restricted to the jewellery industry alone, and can be applied to many other aspects of retail which can again be seen on the Holition website.

Revolution vs Gimmick?

As you will be aware, however, the very existence of Augmented Reality has caused a stir in the media and has polarised society in general. On one hand, many claim it to be one of the most important technological developments in a generation, something which has the power to change the way we shop online forever. On the other, sceptics consider the technology to be a gimmick which will not stand the test of time. While they agree that AR can be entertaining, they argue it is merely a passing fad which will be exposed once the novelty has worn off.

So, what are the facts? Yes AR can be fun. Virtually ‘trying on’ expensive watches and rings is a great way to kill the hours in work, so it is easy to see how some consider it to be a little gimmicky. But Augmented Reality is so much more than a means of entertainment; it also brings profitable results. Tissot has previously worked alongside Holition to develop a similar application to the Boucheron model whereby customers can virtually ‘try on’ watches. In this example, an interactive screen was set up outside Selfridges department store in London’s Oxford Street and passers-by were urged to try the technology for themselves. The campaign led to an 85% sales increase in the Tissot branch in Selfridges, something which would suggest the technology is a very profitable gimmick indeed.

So, if AR is more than a mere gimmick, can we consider it to be the future of online shopping? Of course, this is an impossible question to answer at the moment. The technology is still very much in the early stages of development and more work is needed. But it is very possible that AR will change the way we shop online forever. For me, it is highly doubtful that customers will choose to view possible online purchases via a 2D image when a 3D interactive version is available to them. The new technology not only allows customers to scrutinise each purchase thoroughly, but it also gives them the opportunity to see what each item will look like on them before buying the product.

Revolution or gimmick? The answer really is in the eyes of the beholder. But one thing is for sure, if there is an option for me to examine a product in greater detail before I purchase it online, I’ll use it. Until the technology becomes used on a wider scale though, I remain caught in two minds: the dreaded shopping centre, or the disappointment of online shopping.