Augmented Reality Transformed Life in COVID-19 Lockdown

During lockdown, augmented reality bridged online and in‑store shopping, letting customers visualize, scale, and try products at home—boosting confidence and reducing returns. Powered by smartphones, 3D models, and integrations, AR shines for fit-critical goods, enhances every funnel stage, endures post-pandemic. Retailers should prioritize realistic assets, performance, and measurement.

Written by TheGenieLab

May 30, 2020

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The Role of Augmented Reality in Shopping During COVID-19

Augmented Reality (AR) transformed eCommerce during the COVID-19 lockdown by enabling consumers to experience a virtual shopping environment — 3D product visualization and "try before you buy" flows that reduced uncertainty, cut returns, and made online shopping feel tangible.

The Technology Behind It

Widespread smartphone accessibility, combined with cameras, GPS, and processors, unlocked real-time software interactions that layer digital objects over the physical world — no specialized hardware required. Retailers digitized catalogs into 3D models with accurate color, texture, and scale, showcasing products via a "view in your space" feature.

How Lockdown Changed Consumer Behavior

As stores closed, AR offered at-home "try before you buy" experiences. Furniture retailers like IKEA let customers assess scale, color, and layout from home, helping them purchase confidently without visiting a showroom. AR complements rather than fully replaces in-store shopping, but it meaningfully reduced uncertainty and returns.

Where AR Shines

Products sensitive to size, color, texture, or fit benefit most: furniture, home décor, appliances, eyewear, footwear, apparel, and paint colors. Commodity goods with familiar form and use gain less from visualization.

AR Across the Customer Journey

Awareness: interactive social ads let users place products in their space and capture shareable content.
Evaluation: virtual try-ons and room-scale placement reduce friction and clarify expectations.
Purchase: real-time visualization increases confidence and can decrease returns.
Post-purchase: customers often share AR experiences, fueling advocacy.

Practical Implementation Steps

Define the use case: focus on products where size, fit, or style uncertainty blocks conversion.
Create accurate 3D models with true-to-life color, texture, and scale.
Choose your stack: AR APIs, native apps, or browser-based AR.
Integrate a clear "view in your space" or "try it on" call to action on product pages.
Measure engagement, add-to-cart rate, conversion, and return rate changes.

The Future

Looking ahead, AR will continue shaping product discovery, personalization, and post-purchase support well beyond the pandemic. If you'd like to explore AR/VR in your store, reach us at wish@thegenielab.com.

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