VR and AR: What Do These Terms Mean? And Are Shoppers Ready?
Virtual reality and augmented reality are perhaps the next big revolution coming to the retail industry. Not since online shopping changed the face of retail has something this important, and this market-changing comes along. But what are VR and AR – and are shoppers ready for these new ways to shop?
Online shopping hasn’t evolved much in recent years – except that it works better than ever because of faster Internet service. But virtual reality and augmented reality are sure to change the way people shop online. Today’s retail industry struggles with how to show online customers what products are like. VR and AR will make that easy.
The right POS mobile system will be more important than ever VR and AR, and in-store sales are sure to suffer even more. The new point of sale for retail will be online, and contactless payments could give way to pre-stored information and ultra-quick checkouts from within a virtual world.
Defining Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality
VR and AR aren’t the same things.
As it pertains to business, virtual reality is an entirely computer-generated artificial environment to look as real and inviting as possible. VR strives to include sights, sounds, and other user experiences in the retail industry. Customers use a headset to facilitate interaction. Devices on the market now include the PlayStation VR, the Oculus Rift, and the HTC Vive.
Augmented reality, however, is real. It’s alive and direct connection to a real-world environment. But a computer augments – or enhances – the environment with additional video, sound, graphics or data. The game Pokemon Go is a great example of AR that’s available today.