Yoox launches augmented reality for "try, share and shop"

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 23, 2017

YNAP’s Yoox website is partnering with augmented reality camera app Lumyer in an exclusive deal designed to offer something extra to shoppers, put Yoox in front of new potential customers and differentiate it from rivals.

The move into AR will allow users to see themselves ‘trying on’ handbags, sunglasses and jewellery, creating “live fashion shoots” to produce images that can be shared on social media. The products are also available to purchase directly through the app with just a swipe.

The company said the development of the exclusive set of filters is a first for a fashion retailer and opens its offer to Lumyer’s over 16 million users on Apple’s iOS or on Google’s Android smartphone operating systems.

It also said the partnership has been developed to engage both the Lumyer and Yoox audience “in a more playful and personal way,” which is “part of a wider brand focus on creating unexpected content to entertain and constantly surprise customers.”

Yoox president Alessandra Rossi highlighted that YNAP is the first retailer on the Lumyer platform and stressed that “mobile is at the heart of what we do.”

The feature launched on Thursday, which was Yoox’s 17th anniversary.

The news comes in a month in which digital’s huge impact on the fashion industry has been felt more keenly than ever  before. From Amazon’s ‘try before you buy’ initiative, to Farfetch’s link-ups with Condé Nast and JD.com, pureplay e-tailer Joe Browns’ move into the omnichannel space with plans for a physical store, Global Blue’s launch of a new payment option that incorporates social media, and Boohoo’s addition of new delivery options, it’s clear that much of what’s interesting in fashion today is happening online.

Yet sales data this week from IMRG Capgemini also showed that explosive growth in fashion e-tail sales isn’t guaranteed. UK fashion e-tail turnover rose only 7.6% in May as consumers stayed cautious. In this environment, initiatives such as this latest one from Yoox will be key.

It’s no coincidence that the e-tailers listed above are among the most dynamic in the fashion sector today and are winning market share even as the economic backdrop stays challenging.