Brief:

• Burberry partnered with Google on an augmented reality (AR) shopping experience that is activated from mobile web search results, per an announcement.
• Shoppers who use Google Search on their smartphones to search for the Burberry Black TB bag or Arthur Check Sneaker can click on an image in the results to see a 3D image of the product overlaid on a real background.
• The AR tool is currently available in the U.S. and U.K., and the company plans a global rollout for other products in the coming months, per its announcement.

Insight:

Burberry's collaboration with Google on an AR shopping tool aims to expand the reach of its efforts. By providing a 3D demonstration of its products accessible from Google Search, Burberry's shopping tool can reach a wider group of consumers than if it was available in a brand app or on the brand's website. Burberry's deployment suggests that consumers now recognize and understand AR technology enough for it to be more widely available, helping bring the in-store shopping experience to more of its customers wherever they are. 

AR-powered shopping can help engage shoppers and manage their expectations for how products will look before they make a purchase, thereby improving customer satisfaction while reducing the likelihood that customers return a product because they're unsatisfied with it. For example, the AR image of a handbag or sneaker can be placed next to other clothing items, simulating the in-store experience before making a purchase.

Burberry's AR shopping tool is the brand's latest effort to adopt new technologies to improve the customer experience (CX) for luxury consumers. The company in November opened a new flagship store in Tokyo and let shoppers scan QR codes with their smartphones to activate an exclusive AR experience. The following month, Burberry created a digital pop-up experience powered by Google Lens in London, letting users see a live feed of themselves on their phone surrounded by a herd of Burberry deer.

AR technology has become more popular among retailers to showcase their wares. Retailers will spend $1.5 billion on augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technology as they seek to provide a more engaging customer experience (CX), researcher International Data Corp. (IDC) forecast. By providing an immersive CX, the technologies have a variety of applications for product demonstrations among cosmetics, fashion, automotive and home decorating brands.