Abstract
The pandemic has forced fashion brands to find alternatives to provide more engaging online consumer experiences, particularly through emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR). The Virtual Fitting Room (VFR) is an example of that. Consumers can try fashion products and interact with them without having to visit a store. This chapter addresses the use of AR try-on services by fashion brands with the aim to enhance the consumer experience. This chapter aims at providing a set of recommendations for fashion brands to employ AR within their brand strategy through a multi-case study approach. Two cases were analysed: Kohl’s Snapchat Virtual Closet (KSVC), released in 2020, and Sephora Virtual Artist (SVA), released in 2017. First, we start by analysing the consumer journey in each of the cases, including the characteristics of the brand and the technological features; this is followed by a comparison between the cases. Five themes emerged from our analysis: social media integration and brand congruency, consumer agency and flow experience, narrative experiences and omnichannel orchestration and inclusive design and sustainable fashion. Implications for both practice and theory are discussed. We finish the chapter with recommendations and insights about the use of AR for fashion brands, including emergent themes such as adaptive fashion.
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Notes
- 1.
At the time of writing this chapter, the app was not available anymore (only in Singapore). We have utilised the walkthrough video with features from the official ModiFace and Sephora’s channel and published articles to underline the overall experience.
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Wanick, V., Stallwood, J., Bazaki, E. (2023). The Use of Augmented Reality to Enhance Consumer Experience: The Case of Kohl’s Snapchat Virtual Closet and Sephora Virtual Artist. In: Bazaki, E., Wanick, V. (eds) Reinventing Fashion Retailing. Palgrave Studies in Practice: Global Fashion Brand Management . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11185-3_4
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