NexTech Launches ‘Try-It-On’ Tool for Online Retail

NexTech AR Solutions (CSE:NTAR, OTC Pink:NEXCF) on Wednesday announced the release of its ‘Try-It-On’ augmented reality (AR) experience for online retail.

The company said that the web-based solution utilizes facial tracking capabilities and AI-Powered computer vision technology to show online shoppers how they would look while wearing various apparel items.

As quoted in the press release:

The new solution for online retailers utilizes facial tracking capabilities and AI-assisted computer vision technology to provide a realistic experience that enables the consumer to see what they would look like wearing certain apparel items like glasses, headwear, jewelry, and more. The current iteration tracks eyes – enabling an AR preview for items like glasses, goggles, and other eyewear – with support shortly to follow for lips, ears, mouths, and other zones above the shoulder.

Once the Try-It-On technology is integrated into an eCommerce site – easily deployed through any retailer’s existing website – consumers can begin ‘trying on’ items using the camera on their preferred desktop or mobile device. The technology can also be embedded and used in banner ads and social posts on Facebook as part of a digital marketing strategy to drive store traffic and convert shoppers into buyers.

“One of the most significant pain points that remains in online retail for a consumer is the inability to try something on before they buy it. This often leads to frustration, the ordering of incorrectly sized items, and unnecessary returns that are costly to the retailer,” said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech. “NexTech’s new Try-It-On AR technology eliminates the issue by enabling retailers to offer a virtual fitting room to their consumers to assess the look and fit of an item before purchase.”

Rather than expensive technologies available solely for apps, NexTech’s AR solutions for eCommerce are web-based and deployed through a few lines of embed code within existing eCommerce websites. For a low monthly subscription fee, the browser-based AR platform is accessible to all online retailers without the significant upfront costs and time related to app development, and allows them to give their customers the fun, customized and convenient shopping experience they crave.

“Technologies like augmented reality shouldn’t be available only to large brands with deep pockets. There are thousands of small to midsize retailers that don’t have budgets or technical knowhow to develop the AR technology in-house that could significantly boost sales by implementing such a technology,” said Gappelberg. “By eliminating the need for developing an app and offering a simple, cost-effective web-based program, NexTech democratizes AR use and makes it available to everyone, empowering online retailers of all sizes to offer a personalized 3D-AR shopping experience to their consumers without cutting into profits.”

With the global retail eCommerce market projected to reach $4.8 trillion in 2021, (according to Statistica) technologies that can offer a more personalized online shopping experience like augmented reality are poised for rapid growth. Recent research states 74 percent of consumers expect retailers to offer an augmented reality experience, and one-third reported they would be more likely to buy a product after using AR to preview it.

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