Want to know if AR shopping actually works? Here’s what the data shows:
Key Impact
Result
Sales Boost
Up 40%
Returns
Down 35%
Engagement
200% higher
Conversion
Up to 94% higher
AR shopping lets customers:
See products in 3D from any angle
Try items virtually before buying
Test products in their space
Check exact sizes and fits
Here’s what top brands achieved with AR:
Bottom line : AR isn’t just cool tech – it’s a proven sales driver. 57% of shoppers prefer AR-enabled stores, and 40% will pay more for AR testing features.
Want the full scoop on AR shopping? Let’s dive in.
How AR Helps Online Stores
Benefit
Impact
Customer Engagement
200% higher than non-AR stores
Purchase Likelihood
30% increase with AR use
Conversion Rate
Up to 94% higher for AR products
Return Rate
40% drop with AR shopping
Here’s the thing about AR in online shopping: it’s not just a fancy feature – it’s changing how people buy stuff online.
Think about it: instead of just looking at product photos, shoppers can now see exactly how items fit in their space. And the numbers? They’re pretty wild.
“For many consumers, it’s the next best thing to actually having the product with them in their own home.” – Jennifer Liu, Director of Product Management at Google
Let’s look at what happens when stores add AR:
Home Depot’s AR Product Viewer makes people 2-3x more likely to buy. Shoppers spend 2.7x more time in AR apps and buy 11x more often. That’s not just better engagement – it’s a total shift in how people shop.
Check out these real-world examples:
Store
AR Tool
Results
DFS
Web AR for 10,000+ sofas
112% more sales
L’Oreal
ModiFace try-on
3x higher conversion
IKEA
Place app
98% size accuracy
But here’s the BIGGEST win: AR crushes the return problem. Last year, returns cost stores $761 billion – that’s 17% of all retail sales. Here’s how AR fixes this:
Problem
AR Solution
Impact
Wrong Size
Virtual Try-On 35% fewer returns
Wrong Look
3D Preview
40% drop in returns
Wrong Fit
AR Placement
20% less hesitation
Take Warby Parker and Ulta Beauty . Their AR tools help customers pick the right products the first time. Warby’s Virtual Try-On shows exactly how glasses look on your face. Ulta’s GLAMLab lets you test makeup shades before buying.
The bottom line? AR isn’t just cool tech – it’s making online shopping work better for everyone.
Feature Type
Examples
Results
Virtual Try-On
Warby Parker glasses, Sephora makeup
27-34% sales increase
Product Visualization
IKEA Place furniture, Home Depot items
90% higher conversion
Size/Fit Tools
Nike Fit shoe sizingReduced returns by 35%
Customization Options
Burrow sofa builder, Ray-Ban style picker
2-3x purchase rates
Want to know what ACTUALLY works in AR shopping? Let me break it down.
Try Products Virtually
The numbers don’t lie: virtual try-ons are the #1 AR feature shoppers use. Here’s what’s working RIGHT NOW:
Brand
AR Tool
Key Features
Sephora
Virtual Artist
Face scanning, makeup testing
ASOS See-my-Fit
500+ weekly product views
Lenskart 3D Try-on
Face scanning, glasses preview
L’Oréal
ModiFace
Lipstick shade testing
Change Product Features
Here’s something cool: shoppers can now modify products in real-time with AR. Check out these numbers:
Modification Type
How It Works
Impact
Color Changes
Switch product colors instantly
40% more engagement
Size Adjustment
Scale items to space
98% accuracy rate
Style Options
Test different designs
35% fewer returns
Custom Features
Add/remove elements
2.7x longer sessions
Want to see this in action? Home Depot’s AR app is the perfect example. Just point your phone at any room, pick a product, and BAM – you can change colors or sizes on the spot. It’s so simple that it’s now the #1 retail app.
“We knew early on that augmented reality had the potential to completely transform the way people shop for their homes.” – Steve Conine, Co-founder of Wayfair
Here’s what the numbers tell us about AR’s impact on sales.
Customer Activity Numbers
The data shows that AR keeps shoppers engaged and coming back:
Metric
What to Track
Industry Average
Dwell Time
Time spent using AR features
75 seconds (4x longer than mobile video)
Interaction Rate
% of visitors who use AR
19% engagement boost during COVID-19
Memory Recall
How well customers remember products
70% higher with AR
Return Users
People who come back to use AR
Track weekly/monthly growth
AR isn’t just a trend – it’s growing fast. The market’s expected to jump from $42.04 billion in 2023 to $375.90 billion by 2031.
Sales and Returns Data
The numbers don’t lie – AR drives sales up and returns down:
Result Type
Without AR
With AR
Conversion Rate
Standard
Up to 90% higher
Return Rate
20-40%
Cut by 64%
Revenue Per Visit
Base
106% increase
Add-to-Cart Rate
3% average
Up to 20%
Here’s what real stores saw after adding AR:
Company
Time Period
Results
DFS Sofas
Jan 2020
112% more sales after AR launch
Rollie Nation
Monthly
39% growth in conversions
Rebecca Minkoff
Per Product
65% higher add-to-cart rate
Gunner Kennels
After AR Launch
5% drop in returns
Houzz reports: “We saw an 11x increase in conversions after implementing our AR app.”
Track these metrics through:
Your store’s analytics dashboard
AR platform metrics
A/B testing AR vs non-AR pages
Return rate comparisons
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How to Add AR to Your Store
Here’s what you need to know about adding AR to your online store:
Setting up AR isn’t complicated. Here’s what you’ll need:
Step
What to Do
Tools to Consider
1. Create 3D Models
Turn products into digital files
Angle 3D, VNTANA scanning
2. Format Files
Make .GLB files (keep under 15MB)
Shopify ‘s 3D tools
3. Choose Platform
Select your AR viewer
Viewit 3D, GlamAR.IO, PICTOFiT
4. Test Setup
Make sure it works everywhere
Browser testing tools
Got a Shopify store? Here’s what to do:
Get your .GLB files ready
Put them on product pages
Turn on AR Quick Look for iOS
Check it works on different phones
“Our AR app boosted conversions by 11x” – Houzz
Make AR Easy to Use
Here’s what makes AR work for customers:
Feature
Why It Matters
How to Do It
WebAR Support
Works right in the browser
Pick browser-based tools
Quick Loading
Keeps people looking
Make 3D files smaller
Clear Instructions
Shows people what to do
Add simple guides
Mobile-First
Works on phones
Test on mobile
When picking your tools, think about:
What platform you use
What you can spend (Viewit 3D costs $19/month)
How many products you have
What phones your customers use
Pro tip : Start small with 5-10 products. Test how it works before adding more.
Problem
Fix
Takes too long to load
Make files smaller
Looks wrong
Check phone compatibility
Nobody uses it
Make AR buttons obvious
Looks fuzzy
Fix 3D model quality
Look at Nike – they built an AR tool that measures foot size through phone cameras. It cut their returns and made customers happy.
Tips for Good AR Setup
Build Better 3D Models
Here’s what makes 3D models work in AR:
Element
What to Do
Why It Matters
File Size
Keep under 15MB
Loads fast
Texture Size
Use 1024×1024 or smaller
Runs better on phones
Image Format
Save as .jpg at 90 resolution
Makes files smaller
Polygon Count
Stay under 50,000 faces
Shows up smoother
Model Position
Center at (0,0,0) coordinates
Shows up in the right spot
Want to make your models better? Here’s what works:
Cut out hidden mesh
Use one texture map for everything
Keep UV seams simple
Clean up extra vertices
“Photos can’t always show how materials look and feel. Getting this right in 3D is key for showing products correctly.” – Jason Stokes, Founder and CEO of Eastside Co.
Work on All Devices
Your AR needs to run smoothly on every device:
Device Type
Target FPS
Load Time
Mobile
60
Under 3s
Tablet
60
Under 3s
Desktop
60
Under 5s
Here’s how to make it run fast:
Set camera clips to minimum
Add mip-maps to textures
Turn on static batching
Squeeze textures by platform
“Good ecommerce design means making things easy and useful for customers. AR should just work, no matter what device they’re using.” – Kerrin Meek, Design and Experience Director at We Make Websites
Before you launch, check:
FPS on different devices
Battery drain
Slow internet performance
Load speed
How fast it responds
AR with AI and Data
AI and AR are teaming up to transform online shopping. Check out these numbers:
AI + AR Impact
Results
Conversion Rate Increase
Up 200%
Return Rate Decrease
Down 25%
Customer Engagement
Up 94%
Purchase Intent
Up 58%
Want to see this in action? Look at Snapchat Lens Studio . They’ve made it super simple: type what you want, and boom – your 2D photos become 3D models. It’s that easy.
“Every step of the AR customer experience can be enhanced through AI.” – Edwin Provoost, Business Manager
AR for More Stores
Here’s something big: AR users will hit 1.73 billion by 2024. Let’s see how stores are using AR RIGHT NOW:
Store Type
AR Use
Results
AJIO Big Bold Sale AR features
Higher engagement
Cartier Trinity Collection try-on
More sales
Nike
Virtual View product display
Better trust
Sephora
Virtual makeup testing
Lower returns
The numbers tell the story:
71% of shoppers WANT AR in stores
32% are ALREADY using AR while shopping
40% would spend extra cash for AR-customized items
“The future of retail is both augmented and intelligent.” – Pulkit Trivedi, Managing Director, India
According to Forrester, AR and computer vision in stores will jump 50% in 2024. Why? Because:
WebAR works without downloading apps
AI makes AR cheaper to set up
You can create 3D models from basic photos
Virtual try-ons are getting better
Wrap-Up
AR shopping isn’t just changing online retail – it’s transforming it. Here’s what the data shows:
Impact Area
AR Results
Cart Additions
44% more likely after 3D interaction
Order Placement
65% more likely with AR
Customer Engagement
94% higher vs static ads
Shopping Time
20.7% longer in AR-enabled apps
Product Views
1.28x more items viewed
Big brands are seeing BIG results:
Brand
AR Feature
Results
Rebecca Minkoff
3D Product View
44% higher cart rate
Gunners Kennels
AR Product Display
40% higher orders, 5% fewer returns
Sephora
Virtual Artist
11.4% conversion boost
Taco Bell
Snapchat Lens
224M views in one day
The numbers tell a clear story:
AR users will hit 1.73B by 2024
Market size? $24.5B by 2025
71% of customers would buy more with AR
56% of returns happen because items don’t match descriptions
“It just solves some really obvious pain points that have existed in ecommerce forever.” – Russ Maschmeyer, Shopify’s Product Lead for AR
Want to add AR to your store? Here’s how:
Step
Action
Start Small
Begin with 3D models of top products
Test Results
Track views, engagement, and sales
Get Feedback
Monitor customer comments and returns
Scale Up
Add more products based on demand
Bottom line: AR isn’t just some fancy tech feature. It’s a tool that boosts sales, makes customers happy, and cuts returns. And as the tech gets cheaper and better? More stores will jump on board.
FAQs
Do 61% of consumers prefer retailers that offer AR experiences?
Yes. A survey by Alter Agents looked at 4,028 shoppers (ages 13-49) across the U.S., U.K., France, and Saudi Arabia. Here’s what they found:
Consumer Preference
Percentage
Prefer AR-enabled retailers
61%
Would shop more with AR
71%
Feel more confident after using AR
80%
Gen Z shoppers preferring AR
92%
The numbers show AR helps stores boost their bottom line:
Metric
Impact
Customer Engagement
+19% during COVID-19 (Vertebrae)
Conversion Rate
+90% for AR users vs non-users
Return Rate
-66% after using AR features
“The future of shopping is here today, through the use of AR. It’s continually proven its value for shoppers as a way to show how a brand or product can fit within their lives.” – Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer at Publicis Groupe
Big brands back this up. Snapchat’s AR shopping features with Toys R Us Canada, American Eagle, Gucci, and Adidas show more people buying and engaging with products.
