In the month of Ramadan, it has become possible for consumers to browse favorite products through a shopping experience through a virtual mall powered by Snapchat in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The virtual mall houses some of the region’s most popular consumer brands, such as L’Oreal, Al-Futtaim – IKEA, Namshi and Samsung. The virtual mall is accessed through the lens of the Snapchat world. Shoppers using the lens can browse the virtual stores of participating brands.
They can also view and explore products that they can then purchase through each brand’s e-commerce site.
The lens of the virtual mall can be accessed through the lens circle on the main camera screen. Brand Store lenses are also accessed along with the primary lenses in Snapchat’s Lens Explorer tab.
The virtual mall provides merchants with an opportunity to use the capabilities of augmented reality in order to provide consumers with an immersive shopping experience.
Periods such as Ramadan draw attention to the power of augmented reality and its popularity with consumers. Last year’s Ramadan campaigns for merchants using augmented reality via the platform generated an average purchase value of 4.3 times higher than other formats.
Snapchat provides a realistic retail experience
“Snapchat users in the region are looking for inspiration for their Ramadan shopping experience,” said Jake Thomas, Chief Operating Officer of the UAE at Snap. Today’s shoppers also want to experience more than just transactions. While they expect the convenience and efficiency of online shopping, they also want an authentic in-store experience.
He added, “Augmented reality technology fulfills this need with globally available mobile devices. This is a game changer for both retailers and shoppers. The virtual mall is the perfect platform for this, it bridges the gap between the digital and the physical world and gives consumers and brands the opportunity to explore the potential of digital commerce.”
Users of the platform can browse beauty, clothing, home, design and e-brand products at any time and wherever they are.
The virtual mall highlights the development of augmented reality in the platform. It also highlights how this technology can be beneficial to consumers and brands alike.
