Apple’s Quick Look Expansion Allows Home Depot, Wayfair to Sell in AR

Need to Know

• Apple announced updates to its augmented reality feature ‘Quick Look’ allowing retailers to sell directly to iPhone and iPad users through an AR experience. 
• Retailers provide the 3D model of the item and Apple uses ARKit to superimpose the item into the customer’s world, rendering it with shadows, lighting, and scaling. 
• The new customizable button takes the experience a step further and allows retailers to and any action they would like to the experience, including a purchase button that triggers an immediate Apple Pay prompt. 
• Home Depot, Wayfair, Bang & Olufsen, and 1-800-Flowers are the first retailers to tap into the Quick Look updates.

Analysis

Retailers that advertise with Apple’s Quick Look now have the opportunity to capture sales in-app. The feature update allows retailers to introduce a customizable button to the AR experiences with the ability to be programmed with any personalizable action the retailer wishes to take. 

First introduced in 2018, Quick Look allows for instant AR experiences right within apps that iOS and iOS iPad users have access to, such as Safari, Messages, and Mail. The retailer provides Apple with a 3D model rendering of the item and Apple taps ARKit to render it as it would appear in the user’s real-world, capturing everything from size scale, shadows, and even highlights.

Users are able to see exactly how the item would look in their space before committing to the purchase. The new update allows retailers to tap into that moment at a pivotal time when the customer is excited and engaged, providing them the option to close the sale with a simple tap of a button. 

Digital technology is in and brands are embracing AR tech in new ways all in an effort to enhance the customer experience and increase purchase confidence and sales. Recently Pinterest debuted an AR lipstick try-on feature with big brands like Sephora and L’Oreal. Benjamin Moore also took things digital and helped its customers match paint colors with an AR app. 

Major retailers Home Depot, Wayfair, Bang & Olufsen, and 1-800-Flowers are the first to announce that they will be adding the update to their AR experience, but if the power of Apple is any indication, consumers should expect that list to grow.

Apple’s Q1 earnings report posted quarterly revenue of $91.8 billion, with iPhone sales taking first place in the net sales category, at $55.9 billion.