Although consumers have learned that there are many advantages to shopping online, there are some elements missing from the online experience. Enter the growing use of immersive technologies for shopping. A new report [pdf] from Accenture Interactive explores what drives consumers to try out these technologies and what it could mean to online retailers.
The survey of more than 3,000 consumers who relied on immersive technologies to evaluate and/or purchase a product or service online over the previous 6 months shows that one of the top motivations for trying out these technologies while shopping online is being able to view products without visiting the store (52%). Some 42% also listed assessing product features and capabilities as a top motivation, while an equal percentage were also motivated by experiencing products before purchasing (42%). Another 39% cited increasing confidence in purchasing decisions.
Some 3 in 10 (29%) are motivated to use immersive technologies because it allows them to change, customize or personalize products. This feature could prove to be beneficial to retailers as close to half (47%) of consumers say they would pay extra for a product if they were able to customize or personalize it using immersive technology.
Last year a survey from GfK found that only one-quarter of consumers expected to try out AR/VR technologies during their shopping experience within the next year. However, the future of immersive technology looks bright. The Accenture Interactive survey shows that consumers believe that immersive and virtual technology will have a greater influence over purchasing decisions in the future.
That doesn’t mean that the use of this technology comes without some apprehension. Close to 6 in 10 (57%) consumers expressed concern about immersive technology using their personal data to provide personalized recommendations.
The full report can be found here.
About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of 3,087 consumers across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific who relied on immersive technologies to evaluate and/or purchase a product and/or service online in the previous 6 months. The survey was fielded in March 2020.
