Will we soon have augmented reality shopping assistants to help us in store?

According to a body of research, in-store shopping could soon transition to omnichannel retail: in the near future, brick-and-mortar stores could engage customers through multiple digital and physical touchpoints. 

In the short term however, retailers are struggling to implement these technologies in their stores.

Against this background, DCU researchers have teamed up with colleagues in Germany and Austria to investigate the impact of a smartphone-based augmented reality shopping assistant application. The Application uses personalised recommendations and explainable artificial intelligence features on customer shopping experiences.

The research indicates the augmented reality shopping assistant application had a positive effect on customers' perception of their in-store shopping experience.