7 AU Retailers Making Waves (and Sales) with Augmented Reality Tech

In a world where brands are constantly competing for their customers’ attention, many businesses typically deploy imaginative social media campaigns, marketing stunts, or TV ads. 

Nowadays, leveraging technology is emerging as a new approach. One of the most interesting examples is the use of augmented reality (AR), which overlays digital objects onto live camera feeds. This allows users to see interactive elements through phones, smart glasses, or AR filters - and lends itself to a wide variety of useful applications for retail customers. 

Used correctly, AR tech offers a unique way to engage tech-savvy consumers and enhance their shopping experience. In fact, many Australian retailers are now using AR to stand out and differentiate themselves from competitors. 

Let’s take a look at some examples. 

#1. Rollie Nation

Founded in 2012, Rollie Nation is an Australian fashion brand known for stylish shoes. 

They recently introduced 3D product visualisation and augmented reality to showcase each shoe from all angles. Instead of just seeing a flat photo, customers could zoom in, zoom out, and rotate the shoe for a full 360-degree view.

#2. The Iconic 

The Iconic is one of Australia’s largest online destinations for fashion, sports, beauty, kidswear, and homeware. It offers over 1,500 brands and 165,000 items, making it a go-to destination for online shopping.

The company uses its app to attract more customers and sell products. Shoppers just open the app, click the AR icon next to the sneakers, and “frame their feet.” A 3D projection of the sneakers then appears over their feet so they can see how the shoes look in real time!

#3. Kmart Australia 

Kmart Australia has more than 300 stores in Australia and New Zealand and is known as one of the most profitable discount department stores. 

One of Kmart’s marketing strategies is to launch ads that let users view and move products with their smartphones. With the help of AR, customers can virtually visualise how furniture from the online store would look in their homes without going to the physical store. 

#4. The Party People 

In addition to department stores and fashion brands, party shops also use augmented reality as a marketing and sales strategy. For example, The Party People, Australia’s largest supplier of party supplies, theme decorations, balloons, and costumes, uses AR as well. 

In 2023, the company launched an augmented reality mirror in New South Wales to offer a unique customer experience. This mirror lets people virtually try on and shop for Halloween costumes. The pop-up was very successful, generating 20-40 sales per day. 

#5. Nude by Nature 

Nude by Nature is an Australian cosmetics and skincare company that offers 100% naturally derived and cruelty-free makeup, formulated without unnecessary chemicals, synthetic ingredients, or preservatives. 

To encourage customers to try its products, the company partnered with Perfect Corp. to create an AR feature. This allows customers to try makeup products like lipsticks, eyeshadows, eyeliners, highlighters, and contour palettes virtually. 

#6. Oroton 

Founded in 1938, Oroton is Australia’s oldest luxury fashion company, primarily known for its leather bags. The brand prides itself on offering a fresh take on modern classics, creating easy-to-wear pieces that elevate everyday dressing. 

It has also become the first AU fashion retailer to introduce augmented reality windows in select stores. 

Customers don’t even need to enter Oroton’s stores. They simply stand in front of the AR window, and up to five of the brand’s most coveted bags will automatically appear on the viewer’s body in a timed sequence. 

#7. Perfection Fresh 

Perfection Fresh has been wholesaling fresh fruits and vegetables in Australia for nearly 50 years. It’s one of the country’s largest privately-owned fresh produce businesses, with multiple farms across Australia. 

Recently, the company launched an immersive and interactive AR experience to educate customers about its unique farming environments. 

The Perfection Fresh app shows users the best climates for different produce and how they are grown and harvested. Knowing where their food comes from helps customers feel more confident about its quality and safety. 

More importantly, it creates a sense of authenticity, allowing customers to support ethical practices like sustainable farming and local sourcing, as Perfection Fresh does. 

This way, customers feel more connected to the brand in a unique and meaningful way. 

Conclusion 

Customers have come to expect increasingly hyper-personalised shopping experiences and augmented reality offers an innovative way to achieve that. 

By blending physical and digital realms just like in the examples above, retailers can use AR to create immersive experiences that let customers see how products look on their bodies and faces or in their homes before they buy. 

This potentially enhances the shopping experience and can reduce hesitations to purchase, resulting in higher conversion rates. 

To learn more about how augmented reality and other customer experience (CX) technologies have helped businesses increase sales in 2024, click here. 

Discover the most profitable industries in Australia: Click here. 

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