Google Builds Out Online Shopping Features With AR Tools

Google announced augmented reality shopping features to make it easier to buy sneakers and foundation, the most-searched category in makeup, it blogged Thursday. Consumers can shop for sneakers using AR, being able to spin, zoom and see shoes “in your space,” said Danielle Buckley, director-product, consumer shopping. Launch brands are Saucony, Vans and Merrell, with more to come soon. Any brand with 3D assets for sneakers can participate, she said, saying shoppers engage with 3D imagery 50% more than static versions. For foundation, Google compiled a photo library with 148 models in a diverse set of skin tones, ages, genders, face shapes, ethnicities and skin type, designed to help shoppers better visualize “what different products look like on you,” Buckley said. Shoppers search for a shade on Google across different prices and brands, she said, giving Clinique’s Even Better Foundation as an example. Models with similar skin tone will show up in before and after shots to help consumers choose a product. Some 60% of online beauty shoppers have decided not to buy a cosmetic item online because they didn’t know which shade to choose, she said, and 41% returned an item because it was the wrong one.