Snapchat Dress Up Feature Shows AR’s Potential in Software Development

Source: Snapchat

Snap Inc. is moving quickly with AR technology as it unveiled its latest AR-powered feature for Snapchat during its partner summit this week. The in-app shopping tool called Dress Up allows users to virtually try on items, from shoes to dresses and eyeglasses, directly from Snapchat with the help of its AR lenses. The tool is just one of the many AR initiatives the company is working on and sends an eye-popping reminder to businesses why they should be including AR technology in their app development.

As an initial offering, Snapchat Dress Up will be available in Lens Explorer and eventually have its own dedicated button that will be one tap away from the Camera in the AR Bar. Users can like and save items they’ve tried and continue trying out more items by going to a new shopping section from within their Profile. Users can then return to outfits they’ve saved, recently viewed, and added to their cart.

Dress Up will also feature sections for creator content where people can share their ideas and reviews and where brands can also market and share ideas for their products. All these features are responsive to consumer behavior and will change based on what the user likes, how they interact with the platform and even their selected region. Alongside developing the capabilities of its AR shopping feature, Snap is also working on integration tools that retailers can use to connect their websites and apps to Dress Up.

Pushing Ecommerce into the Next Level

The company has been leveraging other advanced technology like computer vision and machine learning together with AR and VR to achieve a seamless ecommerce experience. The aim is to make AR shopping technology deeply integrated into the social media and instant messaging activities of consumers. The trend can also be credited for the recent stock price increase of Meta and its promise of a new virtual realm, which presents a host of opportunities to SaaS.

AR shopping is certainly not a new concept but it’s gaining traction, thanks to advancements in technology over the years.  Customers are embracing the convenience of being able to visualize items before making a purchase decision. On the other hand, retailers are happy to see higher conversions, thanks to the interactive shopping experience delivered by AR. According to Snap’s data, its AR shopping lens has been used a total of more than 5 billion times by more than 250 million users. The tech also converts a much higher percentage of potential buyers compared to normal ads.

AR strategy and product marketing head for Snap, Carolina Navas, explained that the company hopes to provide users with more fun and experiential shopping experience through Dress Up. The feature will also enhance capabilities for retailers to showcase their products via interactive tutorials. For example, a retailer selling kitchen appliances can allow customers to scan their newest air fryer model and get a tutorial on how to use it.

While Snap figures out how to expand its catalog to bring as many items as it can into the AR experience, DevOps teams have another compelling use case for AR technology. When incorporated into mobile apps, AR and VR features and tools can help SaaS companies boost customer engagement and retention, especially in ecommerce. It can also create unique customer experiences in real-time just like what we’ve seen with Dress Up’s unique selling proposition.