It looks like Snapchat is headed down the same path as Instagram with its newly announced features intended to boost ecommerce opportunities.
Long time Instagram users may remember when it decided to introduce a bunch of new features last year – for better or worse – that promoted shopping and ecommerce from inside the app.
Now, in an unsurprising move, Snapchat wants in on the ecommerce hype. Last week it announced a bunch of new features that will utilise AR to offer users novel ways to βtryβ products and test out items before buying them.
Itβs part of a growing trend in AR commerce – a relatively new but game changing phenomena that could bring social media apps closer to larger retailers like ASOS and Amazon.
Weβve already seen TikTok jump into the βdigital clothingβ market earlier this year, but Snapchat could make the experience more personal and easy to share with friends given that quick, camera-focused content is its bread and butter.
Hereβs a quick rundown of the announced features and what to expect from the e-commerce industry moving forward.
At its Partner Summit last week, Snapchat announced AR-enabled βSnap Spectaclesβ for developers, as well as an improved AR scan feature that allows you to quickly identify specific information about certain items.
Plus, Snapchatβs own βScanβ mobile app will be getting new integration with Screenshop, an AI-based service that finds shoppable items featured in your photo library and creates a custom catalogue of products for you.
These new features mean that users will be able to virtually try on clothes and superimpose them onto their own photos – this could work for anything from shoes, to jewellery, to hats.
Youβll also be able to copy outfits by taking a photo of something you like and immediately finding results online of similar products – allowing a quick way to identify everything you need to complete a βlookβ.
Businesses will also now be able to launch public profiles and list products directly within the app, which Snapchat users can purchase with a simple tap. A nifty feature for those reckless impulse buys weβre all guilty of, eh?
How could AR commerce change the industry?
AR commerce is still technically a niche and not the mainstream. According to eMarketer, 10% of US adults say theyβve used AR to shop specifically, and only 35% said they were at all interested.
While it has yet to catch on with most consumers, AR is steadily gaining traction, particularly with Gen Z social media users. Snap first launched its AR Spectacles five years ago in 2016, when only 7.6% of US social media users said theyβd ever tried using it before. Compare that to 2021, where itβs expected to increase to 22.7%.
Big brands including TikTok, Amazon, and Google are also investing heavily into AR, and itβs estimated to be worth Β£200 billion by 2025. Not too shabby, eh?
Weβve previously chatted to two industry insiders who gave us a full rundown of where the industry is headed, and its clear the future for AR and e-commerce is healthy as can be.
I’m Charlie (He/Him), the Editor In Chief at Thred. I studied English at the University of Birmingham and as a music and gaming enthusiast, I’m a nerd for pop culture. You can find me curating playlists, designing article headline images, and sipping cider on a Thursday. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.
As we review the digital habits of the last few years and question what they might look like going forward, several factors point to a future in which we arenβt quite so wrapped up in the virtual world.
Isnβt it strange to recall a time when social media didnβt exist?
For the past decade, weβve watched as platform after platform has materialised, some cementing themselves at the heart of our digital...
Amidst tabloid speculations of the declining health of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, NASA has stepped in to rebut the claims and reassure the public about the good health of the astronauts.
2024 was proven unfruitful for Boeing amidst multiple safety concerns about its planes and ongoing lawsuits. In current news, its nightmares have also gone beyond our atmosphere with the company facing delays in the return of astronauts Suni...
Itβs long been theorised that giving thanks can cultivate a stronger desire to be giving. Now, thereβs neuroscience to back this up, with recent research revealing a link between a grateful brain and an altruistic one.
If youβre into mindfulness, then youβll know how transformative it can be to practice gratitude.
Actually, even if youβre not into all that self-reflection stuff, Iβm sure that at one point or another youβve noticed...
The DRCβs lawyers have stated that tech giant Apple has knowingly sourced minerals from conflict zones in East Africa while publicly painting itself as sustainable and ethical. Β
The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed lawsuits in both Paris and Brussels claiming that tech-giant Apple purchased illegal βblood mineralsβ from its conflict zones for use in its product lines.
Filed against the Apple European subsidiaries, the lawsuit states that the company...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
0 comments
