Will AR and VR revolutionise the retail experience in Ireland?

Will AR and VR revolutionise the retail experience in Ireland?

By Ray Tierney, CEO, Engage Hub

It is no secret that the Irish high street is facing a perfect storm of market pressure, from changes driven by the rise of ecommerce, to the damage that Brexit is having on consumer confidence. Ecommerce in Ireland is set to increase by 12.9 per cent this year with the online retail industry expected to be worth 2.2 billion euros at the end of 2019.

At the same time, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) warned recently that Brexit was having a direct impact on the Republic’s economy with consumers more cautious about spending than they would normally be. For the high street in Ireland to weather this storm, retailers must rapidly innovate and stay at the forefront of technological change to ensure that customers are not only receiving an innovative customer experience online, but an experience that is worth heading to the shops for.

As technology evolves so do customer shopping habits and expectations. We’ve seen this in the rise of chatbots, artificial intelligence and messaging apps. In fact, our own research highlighted that in order to succeed, organisations have to offer a choice of channels to meet their increasing demands and needs (81% of customers want a variety of channels), as well as delivering a seamless, integrated experience across all of them.

Fortunately for businesses, our fourth industrial revolution is facilitating a new era of speed – the capability to introduce new channels has never been easier. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) dressing rooms and even drone delivery, are now possibilities to keep customers loyal.

Branded as “technologies of the future”, we are already seeing AR and VR being deployed by large, online and instore retailers as an attempt to make the customer journey more immersive and engaging. Converse, the popular shoe brand, is utilising AR in its “Converse Sampler App” to let users get a real-time experience of a product. Using the app is simple as shoppers can angle their camera to their feet, which has been replaced with what the shoe would look like on.

They can even share the photo with friends and family and seek their opinions. Another retailer that is looking to improve the physical shopping experience is Timberland, which unveiled a virtual fitting room using Kinect and digital signage technology that enables passers-by to virtually try on clothing available in the store using hand gestures. Additionally, web and Facebook apps use a PC’s built-in camera and AR to create a similar experience for home users.

However, AR and VR are not the only technologies changing up the customer experience landscape. Many businesses don’t need to run before they can walk when it comes to implementing the latest technology. Increasingly, chatbots are being used as a more convenient way for customers to engage with brands, specifically when they require help.

In fact, 87% of businesses say the ability to facilitate self-service customer enquiries is a current priority. Apart from the obvious benefits like saving businesses money, self-service chatbots are improving customer experience and satisfaction. It’s fair to say we have all had our share of agonising waits and frustrating calls with agents and can, therefore, understand the appeal of having access to instant help and real-time information.

In the era of GDPR and customers being particularly sensitive about who they give their personal data to, Irish retailers must remember to be upfront about who or what they’re speaking to. Giving customers the option to self-serve will only succeed if you’re as transparent as possible.

At the end of the day, it’s clear that although traditionally a human touch has been the cornerstone of customer experience, retailers that fail to adapt to the latest technologies and incorporate them into the customer journey risk losing customers to their competitors. Retailers and brands need to be aware of new technological innovations as they plan the customer experiences of the future.

According to PWC, the Irish consumer is open to new smart technology innovations, in particular smart-home devices and voice assistants with 24% of Irish consumers planning on buying one in the near future. Understanding how customer expectations will change with the advent of these emerging digital solutions, and planning business strategies accordingly, will be essential to future success. For the high street to keep up, investment is needed. However, Retailers shouldn’t run before they can walk. Starting with the basics in place, such as self-service checkouts, can be just as effectual as implementing the latest technology making the headlines, such as AR and VR.

Ray has nearly 20 years’ experience in the technology and communications industry, having previously worked in senior commercial roles at iTouch plc, Logica Mobile Networks and Telefonica (O2 Ireland). More recently he held key management positions with Oxygen8 Group, including Regional Sales Director and CEO, before joining the main board as Group Commercial Director in 2014, looking after market development in Ireland, the UK, South Africa and Australia. In 2016, Ray became the CEO of Engage Hub, a leading global provider of customer engagement solutions, responsible for expansion and growth of key operations in Europe, America and LATAM.

More information about Irish Tech News and the Business Showcase

FYI the ROI for you is => Irish Tech News now gets over 1.5 million monthly views, and up to 900k monthly unique visitors, from over 160 countries. We have over 860,000 relevant followers on Twitter on our various accounts & were recently described as Ireland’s leading online tech news site and Ireland’s answer to TechCrunch, so we can offer you a good audience!

Since introducing desktop notifications a short time ago, which notify readers directly in their browser of new articles being published, over 16000 people have now signed up to receive them ensuring they are instantly kept up to date on all our latest content. Desktop notifications offer a unique method of serving content directly to verified readers and bypass the issue of content getting lost in people’s crowded news feeds.

Drop us a line if you want to be featured, guest post, suggest a possible interview, or just let us know what you would like to see more of in our future articles. We’re always open to new and interesting suggestions for informative and different articles. Contact us, by email, twitter or whatever social media works for you and hopefully we can share your story too and reach our global audience.

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie or on Twitter: @SimonCocking