IBM Research is currently testing its IBM mobile app, a shopping app that enhances the buying experience by making it more personal. The app acts like a personal shopper, using augmented reality technology to provide shoppers with more personalized product information as they're browsing through store shelves.
According to IBM Research, 58 percent of consumers want to get product information
in-store and that 19 percent of shoppers will browse their mobile devices while shopping. So, the IBM mobile app aims to address this consumer need by allowing people to identify products that match their preferences. To use the IBM mobile app, you just input your preferences and point your phone to the product so that the app can "recognize" the product via shapes and images. Then, you will receive information on how closely the product matches your preferences, as well as coupons and promotions currently accompanying it.
Along with making shopping more personalized for consumers, the IBM mobile app will also be useful to retailers. According to Brand Channel, IBM hopes that the app "will provide retailers with valuable insights into consumer behavior. Customer preferences would be stored and used on subsequent trips, building an individual preference profile..."
Augmented Reality Shopping Helpers
IBM Mobile App Personalizes Buying Experience
Trend Themes
1. Augmented Reality Shopping - The use of augmented reality technology in shopping apps to personalize the buying experience, making shopping more convenient and engaging.
2. AI Personal Shoppers - The use of artificial intelligence to develop smart shopping apps that provide customers with personalized product recommendations, improving customer experience and enhancing sales.
3. Mobile Device Shopping - The increasing trend of browsing shopping apps on mobile devices, highlighting the need for retailers to develop mobile-friendly applications for better engagement with customers.
Industry Implications
1. Retail Industry - Retailers can leverage the use of augmented reality technologies and smart shopping apps to provide consumers with a more engaging experience that enhances customer satisfaction and improves sales.
2. Technology Industry - Companies that specialize in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and mobile app development have huge potential to innovate and disrupt the retail industry by developing better shopping tools for consumers and retailers.
3. Marketing Industry - Marketers can use consumer data obtained from smart shopping applications to develop more personalized promotional campaigns, increasing product sales and building brand relationships with customers.