This week, a ghost seized Citadium in District 9 of Paris. And not any one: Snapchat’s. From Monday, September 6 until Sunday, September 12, department stores host the first pop-up store dedicated to augmented reality (AR). The goal? Offer store visitors the opportunity to try virtual purchases.
For the occasion, the social network with 26 million monthly users in France saw the general panorama…. A 50 m2 screen, “The largest snapshot in France,” receives customers at the entrance. The platform was fun especially recreating a mini supermarket, of course yellow.
In this supermarket nothing is left to chance. The shopping baskets are yellow and decorated with the colors of Snachat; Pepinillos jars, fried potato packages or oranges look like a logo and slogans linked to Snapchat. Even receipts or newspapers are adorned with a ghostly logo. Immersed in this universe, visitors will be able to play immersive games to win gifts, try the photomaton enhanced with augmented reality and, above all, try shoes and clothing in a 100% virtual way.
A doubly winning bet for brands
“We talk a lot about buying in Snapchat, especially when the end of the year holidays are approaching,” recalls Ikrame El Bouayadi, Snapchat marketing director. On the platform, “Internet users share their findings, their favorites, ask for opinions to choose one article or another, etc.” But the true passion of Internet users are the sets, those videos of a package of packages. “Some groups of friends share 50, even 60 stories for a simple tour,” he smiles.
As a result, users buy 20% more than the rest of consumers, according to the company’s figures. A target that might interest many brands, eager to loyalty to the new generation and, above all, more and more fond of immersive experiences.
“There is a great appetite between brands for buying augmented actually,” Ikrame El Bouayadi confirms. In fact, if the virtual test exists since the early 2010s, it was not until the Covid-19 pandemic that began to consolidate in its use. As evidence, according to Research & Markets, the world retail market is expected to grow from $ 19.9 billion in 2024 to 64.6 billion dollars in 2030.
The augmented reality applied to purchases thus meets two objectives: to reach the new generation and highlight in a context of overdemand.
A growing market
In Citadium Caumartin, for example, a minigame created in Snapchat allows you to obtain a purchase cart sheet … usable in capsules dispensers, taken from the 90s.
In the Snapchat supermarket, visitors can, in just a few seconds, try three pairs of virtual shoes or test some extravagant sets through an augmented reality mirror.
The emerging window is a novelty in the social network. However, the company has been investing in augmented reality for several years. The platform collaborates with the jeweler Chopard, Dior, L’Oréal, as well as with Kiabi and Levis. Users can, for example, directly try a chopard clock or a tone of lipstick trying a filter through its application.
And Snapchat is far from being the only company that enters this niche. This is, for example, the case of Google Shopping. In the United States, since March, the giant offers Internet users the possibility of testing makeup styles on his face with only a few clicks. For his part, Dior Couture associated with Teads and Perfect Corp last year to allow internet users to prove earrings virtually.
Source: BFM TV
