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Industry Trends
room. She then can use the camera to see that loveseat in 3D and in real time from any and every angle.”
Should the consumer want an opinion from a friend or family member, she takes a snapshot of the room and shares it. When she is ready to buy, she simply hits the ‘SHOP’ button and can buy it online.
If she wants to purchase it from a local brick and mortar retailer, the app will direct her to the website of the closest retailer who has the product.
Knowing that one picture is worth a thousand words, Kemendo encour- ages people to visit the Pair website at www.pair3d.com. Once there, a video showing a couple using the software shows how intuitive, simple and fast the ‘drag-and-drop’ app is.
All the studies confirm that the vast majority of shoppers begin the shopping process online. That shift, of consumers evaluating products online is only getting stronger and reflects the new way people are shopping. Even when consumers are shopping for something as simple as baby diapers, they evaluate products online, they read reviews, they talk to their friends, and they look for information on Facebook and other social networking sites
“So, it stands to reason that when they are getting ready to buy a higher- ticketed item like furniture, they do even more research and part of that experience usually includes a trip to the furniture store, which allows them to see and feel and test the furniture,” Kemendo confirms.
“By giving them a design platform and a commerce platform we’ve given our users a way to create their own spaces and they have rewarded us for that by consistently coming back to try new things,” Kemendo explains.
While Kemendo is understandably upbeat about the future of Augmented Reality, he is certainly not alone.
Manufacturers who work with Pair to have their furniture and accessories included benefit in a number of ways, the company says. “Manufacturers who work with us enhance their brand, drive sales and accelerate customer purchases by communicating product style design and features in an accurate and real-time platform, “ Kemendo adds.
Recent studies have shown that the majority of consumers are intrigued by technology such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and would consider implementing these technologies into their shopping patterns.
While both technologies are getting play from some retail giants including IKEA, Lowe’s and Wayfair, Augmented Reality has been all over the news recently largely due to the red hot Pokémon Go, a smartphone game that uses AR to allow players to “catch” Pokémon characters appearing on the gamers’ phones in their same location.
However, underscoring the potential at retail, observers including Artemis Berry, and an executive with Shop.org and the influential National Retail Federation, has
been quoted as saying that Augmented Reality could be a game-changer for the retail sector.
People closest to the technology, including Andrew Kemendo agree. “We think Augmented Reality will continue to become bigger, better and increas- ingly important to the retail sector,” he concluded. N
E. Michael Allen- Vice President of Furniture & Bedding for AVB/ BrandSource and has been with the company since 1996.
DECEMBER 2016 NECO News 33