Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that lets you see digital content overlaid onto the real world. It’s been around for a while, but it’s only recently started making its way into eCommerce—and it’s not just eyecandy!
You see, augmented reality can help you make more sales. It can also improve your customer experience and make your store more interactive.
But how do you know if it’s right for your business? How do you know if it’s worth investing in?
That’s where we come in! We’ve put together this list of statistics about augmented reality in eCommerce to help you figure out whether AR is right for you and what kinds of things it can do for your brand or business.
Augmented Reality in eCommerce Market Statistics
1. The global augmented shopping market is growing at a rate of 47.1%
(Grandview Research)
According to a report from Grandview Research, the global augmented shopping market was valued at around $1.24 billion in 2019. However, this space is expected to grow at a massive CAGR of 47.1% through 2027.
The AR shopping market accounts for both in-person retail shopping scenarios and eCommerce (online shopping) environments.
North America holds the largest revenue share of the augmented reality in shopping market (37.8% share in 2019) due to increasing investments by retailers in AR technologies and advancements made by major players like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.
In addition, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest pace with a CAGR of 50.2% during the forecast period due to the growing number of smartphone users coupled with increasing awareness about augmented reality technology.
2. More than 90% of Americans either use or would consider using AR for shopping
(Think with Google)
Exploring the impact of Augmented Reality on shopping habits, Google and IPSOS found that more than 90% of Americans either already use AR for shopping or would consider using it if given the opportunity.
What’s more, 98% of the consumers who have already used AR for shopping (online or in-person) say they found the experience to be helpful.
3. One third of shoppers in the US will have used AR on an eCommerce store by 2025
(Statista)
A report from Statista examining the growing adoption of AR applications in the eCommerce world found that by 2025, around one-third of all US shoppers will have used augmented reality for online shopping.
The study showed that while around 28% of consumers overall are expected to have used AR for online shopping in the US, adoption among Gen Z is likely to be much higher.
By 2025, around 41% of Gen Z companies are expected to have used some form of augmented reality shopping app.
In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, numbers are even higher. About 45% of all consumers in Saudi Arabia are likely to have used AR shopping apps by 2025, alongside 42% of consumers in the UAE.
4. More than 75% of industry experts respondents predict AR will play a bigger role in how people shop over the next five years
(Publicis Media, Snap, Alter Agents)
A survey conducted by Publicis Media, Snap, and Alter Agents found users on Snapchat are increasingly seeking out AR shopping tools during buying sessions online. Snapchatters were 56% more likely to use AR lenses to increase their chances of a purchase.
Additionally, around 3 out of 4 respondents in the survey predicted AR would likely play a more significant role in how people purchase products over the next five years.
Two in three customers who said they would use a branded lens for shopping also said they were more likely to purchase an item after using an AR experience.
5. AR engagement has increased by 20% since the start of the pandemic
(Retail Consumer Experience)
An interview with the CEO and founder of Vertebrae, Vincent Cacace, published on Retail Customer Experience, shared the leader’s insights into AR shopping.
According to Vincent, AR engagement increased by around 20% since the start of the pandemic, and conversion rates for online companies are up to 90% higher when they use AR tools.
6. Around 52% of retailers feel unprepared to use AR apps
(Worldwide Business Research)
A study shared by WBR Insights, the research division of Worldwide Business Research, looked at the digital transformation strategies of 100 retail executives. According to the report, around 52% of retailers felt unprepared to begin using AR applications in their stores, online or offline.
Additionally, only 1% of retailers in the report said they were already using AR or VR for the customer purchasing experience. However, 27% of respondents said they were actively evaluating AR applications for use in their sales strategy going forward.
7. The overall AR market is expected to reach a value of $90.8 billion by 2027
(Global Newswire)
According to Global Newswire, the Augmented Reality market was valued at approximately $15.2 billion by 2021 and was projected to reach a potential value of $90.8 billion by 2028.
This represents a CAGR of around 31.5% during the forecast period owing to the increasing adoption of AR technology by various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, retail, automotive, and others for enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and improving customer experience.
8. Retail will account for 5% of AR use by the end of 2022
(Statista)
The Statista Research Department created a report highlighting the potential forecast distribution of the augmented and mixed reality market during 2022.
By the end of this year, video games are expected to account for the largest share of the market (34%). However, the retail sector, including eCommerce and offline stores, should account for 5% of the AR space.
AR eCommerce Buyer Preferences Statistics
9. 61% of online shoppers prefer to shop with stores offering AR visualizations
(Lumus Vision Report)
The Lumus Vision report on the evolution of Augmented Reality in the business world highlights the eCommerce landscape as an excellent opportunity for AR. The study found the retail revenue expected from AR/VR in 2025 is predicted to be $1.6 billion.
According to the report, 61% of consumers prefer to shop with stores offering virtual “try on” and visualization facilities through augmented reality. The same study also found that 71% would shop with a company more often if they began offering augmented reality experiences.
What’s more, 40% of these customers would spend more for a product if AR was delivered during the shopping experience.
10. 66% of people say they’re interested in using AR to help with shopping
(Think with Google)
The Google Consumer AR Survey in 2019 found around 66% of consumers would like to use an AR tool to assist with their purchasing experience in stores and online. Help with shopping could include being able to virtually try on a product such as a type of makeup or an item of clothing before making a purchase by using a smartphone app and camera.
Google’s studies also discovered around 6 out of 10 respondents were looking for augmented reality to give them an insight into how certain products might fit into their world.
AR is often considered the next-best option to bringing an item into a home.
11. 51% of consumers want to use AR to assess the features and benefits of products
(Neilsen)
A global survey conducted by Neilsen in 2019 found Augmented and Virtual Reality are among the top technologies consumers want to use to assist them in their daily lives. 64% of consumers surveyed in the report said they felt their lives are getting busier and more complex and that they’re turning to technology to help simplify their life.
Around 51% of respondents in the survey said they wanted to use these tools to assess product features. A further 43% of consumers said they would be willing to use AR features in-store too.
12. 45% of shoppers say AR functions save them time when making purchasing decisions
(Invesp)
According to an infographic created by Invesp, around 45% of shoppers believe using web-based AR applications helps them to save time when making an online purchasing decision. A further 63% of customers say they believe that using augmented reality would improve their digital shopping experience significantly.
Invesp also shared insights on how customers prefer to use AR shopping apps when interacting with AR companies. According to the brand, 77% of consumers prefer to use these tools to view different product variations, such as various styles or color options. Plus, 78% of people say they prefer virtual experiences from online stores over video content.
13. 33.93% of customers want to use AR apps to try products before purchasing them
(Vertebrae)
In a survey into customer AR preferences, Vertebrae asked respondents what they would like to use augmented reality for if they could create an app of their own. Around 33.93% of people in the survey said they would like to use AR to try products on their body, hands, or feet.
A further 57.15% of consumers said they would like to use AR to place items they’re thinking of buying, like appliances or furniture, into their environment.
14. 92% of Gen Z customers want to use AR for eCommerce
(Snap)
Research conducted by Snap, the company behind Snapchat, found that 92% of Gen Z customers want to use Augmented Reality tools for eCommerce.
According to the report, around 6 in 10 millennial and Gen Z shoppers say their biggest concern when purchasing products online is they’re not sure whether their products will look as expected when they arrive.
The report also found younger customers were more willing to try AR tools when shopping. Around 43% of Gen Z customers said they had already used AR for online shopping, 20% more than people over the age of 45.
Benefits of Augmented Reality in eCommerce Statistics
15. 35% of customers say they would shop online more if they could virtually try on items
(Think Mobiles)
According to a Think Mobiles study, around 54% of today’s consumers only prefer visiting stores in-person, because they can’t fully visualize the products they’re buying from online stores. However, 35% of customers say they would shop online more often if they could virtually experiment with items before making a purchase.
A further 22% of the respondents in the study said they would be less likely to visit a traditional retail store in-person if they could use AR via online stores.
16. AR can improve online shopping conversion rates by 90%
(Vertebrae, Shopify)
Vertebrae, a company specializing in 3D visualizations and AR experiences for eCommerce, found that using AR strategies for online shopping significantly increases engagement and conversion levels. According to the report, conversion rates increase by up to 90% when a company implements an AR shopping experience online.
Shopify also found that 3D models in augmented reality had increased conversion rates for its sellers by up to 250%.
17. 27% of customers return products because they’re “not as described”
(UPS)
Evaluating the various reasons why most people return products purchased online, UPS conducted a largescale 2019 report on 18,000 shoppers around the world.
The report found the main reason to return a product was a damaged or faulty item (30%). However, 27% of customers also claimed they returned products because they weren’t as described or expected.
The researchers suggest using immersive experiences like AR and VR for virtual try-ons and product demos could significantly reduce return rates.
18. Retailers can increase sales on online channels by up to 200% using AR
(Forbes, Adloid)
In an interview with Forbes, Adloid revealed that augmented reality can significantly improve the purchasing experience for shoppers and increase sales for online retailers. According to the company, some of the brands using Adloid’s AR services increased their conversions from only channels by 200%.
What’s more, one retailer tripled their number of online sales with an AR tool.
The company also found that AR improves customer engagement time when users are viewing product images and videos, from a base of 30 seconds to a massive 8 minutes.
19. Sales increase by upto 40% for online stores with 360-degree product views
(Practical Ecommerce, Webrotate, Sirv)
One simplistic form of AR experience in the online shopping world is the use of 360-degree product images. According to Webrotate 360’s founder, Dimitri Bir, using a 360-degree image of a product can boost sales by 5% to 40%.
According to research from the company “Sirv,” a client named “True Value” significantly improved conversion rates by a massive 2% using the power of 360-degree images.
Furthermore, Home Depot also reduced its product returns by around 35% after implementing 360-degree photos into product pages.
20. 72% of shoppers bought products they didn’t plan to because of an AR experience
(Eclipse Group)
A report by the Eclipse group on the image AR has on retail purchases found that 72% of shoppers using augmented reality in the shopping journey purchased items they hadn’t planned to buy as a result of using an AR app.
The study also found that 71% of shoppers would purchase with a brand more often if they could use AR, and 55% said AR makes the shopping experience more fun.
The report went on to say that 68% of shoppers would rather spend more time with a store if it meant they could use AR apps in the experience. A further 29% said they expected retailers and eCommerce stores to invest more into both AR and VR technologies.
Conclusion
It’s time to wrap up this blog post! We’ve covered a lot of ground here, and we hope that you found some interesting facts and figures to help you grow your business. We’ll be continuing to update this list as more and more statistics become available, so keep an eye out for new stats on augmented reality in eCommerce!
It is clear that augmented reality has a long way to go before it reaches its full potential. With new innovations being introduced every day, though, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this technology!
In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments about anything we covered here—or if you have any other questions at all—feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear from you!
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