Augmented Reality Presentations in Furniture and Design Sales

Ross’s high-pitched voice and the entire couch moving scene from Friends serves as a stark reminder: when it comes to interior design, planning is key. If only the guys had an augmented reality (AR) app like IKEA’s to previsualize, the famous item of furniture might still be in one piece. 

Today, augmented reality presentations aren’t a thing of the future. Customers love the technology, as it allows them to interact with the product. It also improves engagement and affects their purchasing decisions. Ok, maybe that’s more about why manufacturers and sellers like it. The bottom line is – everybody wins.

AR is great for product presentation in furniture and interior design. Keep reading to find out how companies can benefit from using it in sales and marketing activities. If not for yourself, do it for Ross, Rachel and Chandler.

The rise of augmented reality in furniture industry and design sectors

Augmented and virtual reality is fun to use, and it grows on you. The global market will exceed $72.8 billion in 2024 (Statista), and with giants like Facebook, Google, and Apple adopting AR, an army of 2.7 billion mobile AR users is expected by 2025. If you’re still not convinced, check out our augmented and virtual reality ppt. 

Long hours of choosing home decor can ruin lives and break up marriages, but AR offers just the right eye candy to sweeten the deal. When done right, it looks good and adds another layer of experience – by turning you into a furniture-juggling god. Pick the size, color, shape, and finish; place it where you want it, then rotate and move the pieces as much as you like. Furniture, design, and home decor industries couldn’t dream of a brighter future than augmented and virtual reality presentations of their products.

It’s no wonder 60% of customers now want to buy furniture from companies offering AR tools. An accurate 3D model of the new bunk bed for the kids? No problem! A real-time demo of how this recliner chair fits into the home theater? Yes, please! Plan it, visualize it, interact with it – all from the comfort of your home, or even on the go. This is what every modern customer wants: convenience and control.

AR can be a true magic wand for architects and interior designers when planning spaces for hotels or large corporate companies. Serving this huge section of the market will bring in significant profits – an opportunity business owners simply can’t miss. The sooner they start riding the AR wave, the better.

And it’s a clear win for furniture and design companies. Using AR, they can demonstrate products without having to drag them along to trade shows and exhibitions, while showing commitment to innovation and cutting-edge tech. By the way, marketing will be happy, too.

Augmented reality product presentation in marketing and sales

Let us bore you with some numbers. Nearly two-thirds of US shoppers say augmented reality has influenced where they shop. 71% admit that AR drives impulsive buying, and they purchase more than planned. 40% of customers are ready to pay more if they could use AR to experience the product before purchase. 

Drawn to these stats like a moth to a flame, 64% of marketers already use or intend to use augmented reality presentation in their campaigns. Research also projects that the presence of AR in advertising will increase 15 times, up to $2.6 billion in 2022. Fifteen times!

If this isn’t a call to action for business owners and executives in the industry, we don’t know what is. Capitalize on these insights now, get ahead by adopting AR in your sales workflow, and you’ll soon have a loyal customer fanbase, yours for the taking. But first, put yourself in their shoes for a minute.

Why do we enjoy AR so much as customers?

• We can try products remotely, so no amount of miles can separate us from that kitchen table.
• AR tools boost our buying confidence by allowing us to make better-informed decisions.
• AR visualizations stimulate our buyer’s gland and make our shopping experience more personal.
• AR experience is akin to an effortless and amusing game that produces real-life results while building customer loyalty.

It looks like the benefits from embracing AR can be quite tangible for any home decor and furniture business:  

1. Product pages with 3D and AR experiences encouraged buying more expensive products, says Retail Customer Experience. 21% higher revenue per visit and 13% higher average order size is worth fighting for.
2. Retailers using AR enjoy a 20% spike in customer engagement, with a 90% higher conversion rate compared to services where AR is not available, the same article indicates. Somewhere, there’s a room full of marketers crying happy tears.
3. Customers are 11 times more likely to buy if they use AR tools – Houzz, a well-known furniture brand, reported. That’s like having 11 customers instead of 1. Or 4,400 instead of 400. Well, you get the jist. 
4. Product pages with 3D and AR experiences encouraged buying more expensive products, says Retail Customer Experience. 21% higher revenue per visit and 13% higher average order size is worth fighting for.
5. Retailers using AR enjoy a 20% spike in customer engagement, with a 90% higher conversion rate compared to services where AR is not available, the same article indicates. Somewhere, there’s a room full of marketers crying happy tears.
6. Customers are 11 times more likely to buy if they use AR tools – Houzz, a well-known furniture brand, reported. That’s like having 11 customers instead of 1. Or 4,400 instead of 400. Well, you get the jist. 

But enough stats for now. Let’s look at some of the market players and the products they’ve rolled out.

8 popular home design and decorating AR apps

• IKEA. One of the pioneers of AR in retail, the IKEA Place app lets users scan the catalog and magically visualize the item in a real environment. What makes it extra useful is the ability to measure actual room dimensions and fit the 3D furniture with 98% accuracy in terms of size, color, and texture. The app aims to solve practical design problems rather than just advertise IKEA products. Also, there are no 10-page manuals or spare parts left after using it.

• Wayfair. A relatively new but promising player in retail. Their app is more focused on shopping. Users can only see one item in their rooms at a time, and they can’t create their own room designs. Still, simple and fun to use.
• DecorMatters. This application has collected and won over 6 million users. It allows designers to visualize an entire interior or layout in a customer’s room. Users can easily create projects or view the plans of other users. In addition, the app also sells products that can be used to furnish a virtual interior.
• Primer. The app allows users to install wallpapers, tiles, or try different colors of paint from well-known brands by using their phone’s camera.

• Houzz. The app focuses on both design and materials purchasing. With Houzz, even amateurs can feel like advanced interior designers. Viewing in 3D lets you see how different decor items will look in any room in the house. The main advantage of Houzz is that it takes lighting into account.
• HOK. Professional designers use this app to verify that the design will suit the desired workflows or match the client’s expectations. Not your average consumer app, it’s particularly useful for laboratories and clinical spaces where designers can share their ideas in real time with the customer.
• Cubit. Another great tool for interior designers, this app combines rolling sensors, lasers, and AR technologies to take precise measurements, projecting them onto real interiors for planning and design purposes. A cool digital, AR-enabled ruler to have in your pocket.

• MagicPlan. With this app, interior design is more than just choosing the right color for the wall or the right table for the dining room. MagicPlan allows to measure and create digital blueprints. All the user needs to do, is to point where the corners are. The app is very useful for interior designers, as it makes the accurate layout of the space.

To sum up

Augmented and virtual reality presentations are a growing trend in furniture and design for good reasons. They make your product more attractive and add bonus points for innovation and better user experience to your business’s reputation. As the demand for AR-enabled apps is increasing in the COVID-stricken world, we expect rapid market growth and brutal competition in the next few years. However, there’s still plenty of chances and enough time to board this ship – and start the augmented reality journey.

What do you think? If you’re an AR fan, just like we are at Postindustria, check out our posts on diamond rendering, jewelry AR tryon, and mixed reality.

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