Overstock.com has added augmented reality to its iOS shopping app to help consumers purchase products for their homes.
Shoppers using a cell phone or tablet with iOS11 can launch the augmented reality experience directly from the retailer’s app, which features 3D models in high resolution, giving an accurate representation of products including furniture, rugs, home goods and décor, so users can see how it will fit in a room. In addition, the app will provide personalized user recommendations to fit their unique style preferences.
With the new technology, Overstock said it aims to continue initiatives aimed at changing the way people design and decorate their homes. Customers can now place thousands of products in the augmented reality environment alongside their own furniture and décor to see how the size, textures and colors match their current room’s design and flow. They can also share pictures of the room designs they devise through direct messages or social media.
“Augmented reality is changing the way people shop for furniture and home goods,” said Saum Noursalehi, president, Overstock. “Shoppers no longer have to guess how a piece of furniture will fit in their room, or if a pattern will match their existing design style. Instead, they can use their phones to see the exact product in their actual room, helping them make the most informed purchase decision.”
He added, “Augmented reality is another nail in the coffin for brick and mortar stores, as it removes one of the last remaining advantages physical stores have over e-commerce and solves several major friction points of shopping for home goods online. Customers now have the assortment of a home goods store with millions of products and the convenience of seeing how those products fit in their own home before purchasing. And with recent advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, soon you will be able to completely decorate an empty room just by mentioning a design style, or see recommendations of products that will match the actual pieces in your home all within the AR environment.”
