One of the biggest changes we're going to see in the next few years revolves around shopping. Everyone thought it was great when they could buy things online instead of getting in the car and driving to the shops. Once we moved onto scanning barcodes and checking for the cheapest prices online it was almost thought of as magic.
Now we have augmented reality and virtual reality banging on our door, and once it's rolled out to the masses it could be the biggest thing we've ever seen. You better cherish these last couple of years looking at photos before purchasing items because it will eventually disappear forever. Let's look at why AR and VR are going to become such a huge part of our lives.
The Magic Of Augmented Reality And Shopping
Imagine you want to buy some Josef Seibel shoes, but you can't really tell from the photos what they'll look like on your feet. In the past you really would have to visit a store before spending any money. Now you will have a photo of yourself on your phone and the shoes will find their way onto your feet.
All of this will be taking place while you're sitting anywhere in the world. Can you imagine the increase in conversions an online store will see when the technology will almost eliminate indecisiveness? It's also perfect for seeing what something will look like when it's sitting in a room inside your house.
The Magic Of Virtual Reality And Shopping
Virtual reality is going to be bigger because there are even more possibilities. The only bad thing is the fact everyone who wants to use the technology at home will need their own equipment, which means it's going to be longer until it becomes mainstream. We're actually going to go back in time to the days when we did walk into stores.
This time the stores won't actually exist in the real world, so everything you see as you're browsing the shelves will be a bunch of ones and zeros. You could see a shelf full of Pikolinos shoes and pick up different styles to examine them. You won't be able to tell the difference between the virtual shoes and the pair that arrive at your door.
The Problem We're Figuring Out Now
Now we're trying to figure out how the payment technology will work when both these things burst onto the scene. Will you be able to buy a chair directly from your phone screen once you've seen what it will look like in your home? If you're wearing a virtual reality headset will you be able to buy something by nodding your head a few times? It would certainly make your life easier and it would make businesses rich.
We're Already Seeing Big Investments
Did you know augmented reality and virtual reality companies already raised over half a billion dollars in funding last year? When Alibaba went public it became one of the largest companies in the world, and they've stated this year they're going to introduce virtual reality into their website. In fact, headsets are flying off their shelves at an unbelievable rate. It's only a matter of time before you'll get to enjoy it.