The global consulting firm Accenture surveyed more than 11,000 consumers from 16 countries on their use of immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The result: interest is growing. Companies should invest in these new technologies now in order not to miss the boat.
For the consulting firm Accenture, it is clear: "The metaverse era has begun. For consumer-facing companies, it is no longer a question of whether they want to invest in the metaverse, but how," says David Holtmann, Managing Director for Consumer Goods & Services at Accenture in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Interest in using VR as well as AR is on the rise, according to the forecast of Accenture's current Global Consumer Pulse Survey.
This means that companies now need to find out and test what new opportunities are available to them. "In addition to new sales opportunities, the Metaverse can also help strengthen customer loyalty, for example through special events and experiences that go beyond simply buying a product. Retailers can create personalised experiences by offering livestream shopping events where customers not only interact with a brand ambassador, but can also try something on right away in a virtual fitting room, add the desired item to the shopping cart and proceed to the checkout," Holtmann continues.
Growing global demand for linking the worlds
According to the Accenture Technology Vision 2022 Meet Me in the Metaverse: The Continuum of Technology and Experience Reshaping Business, more than half of consumers (55 percent) worldwide believe that their daily lives and lifestyles will increasingly shift to the virtual world.
At over 90 per cent, the vast majority of retail executives also believe that leading brands will expand the virtual world to make it more real. This also increases the need for continuous and seamless navigation between the digital and real worlds.
Another 72 per cent of leaders worldwide think the Metaverse will have a positive impact on their organisations. Almost one in two (45 per cent) even think the Metaverse will have a disruptive or transformative effect. This is true not only for the retail sector, but for all consumer-related industries such as retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and travel companies.
Source: fashionunited
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