Social media platform Pinterest announced on Monday its latest attempt at augmented reality (AR) integration on its massively popular mobile application.
Pinterest introduced its “Try On for Home Decor” AR-powered feature that enables smartphone users to place interior design products such as sofas, lamps, or storage units in real-world environments.
Already, the San Francisco-based firm has secured key retailers for the new AR technology, including participating firms Crate & Barrel, CB2, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and West Elm.
The immersive shopping experience allows the photo-sharing platform to stand out from its competitors, says Jeremy Jankowski, Creator Management Lead for Home and Design for Pinterest.
He added,
“When you come to Pinterest, you’re looking for something, you’re in planning mode, you’re going to plan for your wedding, you’re going to plan a redesign of your kitchen, your bathroom, etc. That’s why [AR] shopping is so important on the platform.”
Try-On for Home Decor by Pinterest uses smartphone cameras to place up to roughly 20,000 digital items in the real world. The firm’s smartphone application contains a ‘Lens’ option that activates its AR feature.
Previously, Pinterest introduced a try-on tool for beauty products that supported roughly 14,000 AR overlays.
The news comes after Pinterest announced support for user-made content and additionally, the social media company plans to introduce many new monetisation tools. Already, global retailers and eCommerce firms are using the platform’s powerful shopping features.
Jankowski commented on the application’s ever-evolving immersive shopping experience,
“We really do believe that shopping is more than about searching for a singular product. It’s about inspiring new ideas and speaking to new projects”
Smartphone Try-On Tech
In-store and home-based AR try-on technologies present a modern solution for retailers, and studies show that, by using AR, many retailers can enhance customer engagement.
In 2016, a Daymon study claims that 61 percent of shoppers prefer stores with AR support and found that 68 percent of shoppers responded they would spend more time inside a store that supports AR technologies.
Last year, London-based concept store Machine-A designed a breakthrough shopping experience by creating a digital twin of its store. Using a QR Code, shoppers can easily access the virtual storefront, which features major clothing brands such as Richard Quinn and Martine Rose.
Additionally, major social media providers like Snapchat and Meta have employed AR/virtual reality (VR) integration to enhance digital shopping solutions for users.
Cosmetics firm Estée Lauder partnered with Snapchat in April to create an AR try-on experience that allows users to place up to 60 shades of its foundation products on their faces.
Also last year, cosmetics giant L’Oreal and AR developers Modiface provided Instagram users with a makeup try-on filter. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, launched the successful filter supported by makeup brands such as NYX Professional Makeup, Urban Decay, Maybelline New York, and Lancôme.
More recently, multinational discount retail chain Walmart introduced shoppers to an assisted VR retail experience complete with full support for cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
Retail Metaverse
The news comes after, various major brands marked a transition towards Metaverse-based eCommerce and retail opportunities.
Sportswear firm Nike purchased RTFKT to build a platform for high-quality, blockchain-secured 3D NFTs and digital goods to its global customers. It later partnered with Roblox to create an immersive Metaverse experience to promote the brand as well as physical fitness for children.
Last year, Boson Protocol bought roughly $704,000 worth of virtual real estate on eCommerce Metaverse platform Decentraland. The purchase gives the London-based firm the land required to provide global brands with digital retail spaces, including showrooms, shops, and boutiques.
