Fossil launches Virtual Try-On, powered by Tangiblee's AR technology

Fossil launches Virtual Try-On, powered by Tangiblee's AR technology

This story references an article originally published on Retail Dive.

In 2020, U.S. eCommerce growth jumped by more than 30% and accelerated online shopping by almost two years, according to Insider Intelligence and eMarketer. 

Given this context, it’s no surprise that retailers are ramping up their plans for augmented reality (AR) tech. That’s a good thing. A recent analysis from Shopify has found that products with AR content have a 94% higher conversion rate than products without AR.

One question you may have is how to get started with this tech in an expedited time frame and with minimal risk. Tangiblee recently navigated this process with Fossil’s new virtual try-on experience (check out the press release here). Take a look behind the scenes.

Why Tangiblee?

Unlike other solutions, Tangiblee does not require 3D imagery or CAD files. That means, as a brand, you can build a fully operational AR experience without needing to revamp or enhance your existing library of product photography. 

We were able to create the entire experience without the need for labor-intensive and cost-intensive operational processes, technical requirements, or production photos.

This efficiency means that we were able to launch our platform several days earlier than expected. Implementation was fast and required nothing - absolutely nothing - from Fossil.  No technical requirements, no additional images - nothing.  We were able to scale the VTO across 1,800+ SKUs in a matter of days.  

Keeping the experience uncomplicated & seamless.

People around the world have enough to worry about these days — and that’s an understatement. The experience of online shopping shouldn’t be an additional source of frustration or stress. 

Fossil shoppers need only follow two single-tap steps on their mobile device in order to see a watch on their wrist. 

The first step — measure your wrist width — allows customers to quickly measure the width of their wrist with their phone screen. The ‘calibration’ (measurement) step is not required for Tangiblee’s algorithms to work properly. But it offers an assurance to any watch buyer that what’s being displayed on their wrist is correctly scaled & accurately situated.

The second step only requires a few photos of a shopper’s wrist for the watch to be placed on the image.  The shopper can adjust the placement by sliding it back and forth on the wrist, tapping the watch to see full dimensions, and zooming in on the watch dial.  It’s easy, accurate, and quite fun.

If you keep pushing, we'll keep innovating.

We are currently working to develop new features, hand-in-hand with our customers. We apply what we learn across our customer base, which means that our software incorporates pooled insights. 

We are currently working with a jewelry retailer to develop the following features for launch in Q1:

• Ring stacking: Shoppers can stack multiple rings on their fingers
• Pendants, Bracelets, Earrings & More: Coverage across all jewelry categories; for example, VTO for necklaces with a single picture
• Auto-Capture: Shoppers place their hands in front of the camera lens and the camera automatically snaps pictures to render the AR experience
• Desktop to Mobile QR Code: Shoppers can easily switch between mobile and desktop experiences

• Once the widget opens, the customer just needs to open the camera on their mobile device & scan the QR code in the upper right corner.
• Tap the link on their phone and they're automatically taken to the Virtual Try-On experience for that product. 

We are software with a service.

Remember that we’re here for you. It’s undeniable that 2021 is going to be another tough year.  We’ve enjoyed getting to know our customers as partners and collaborating on building new solutions together. Just because you don’t see what you need doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible. 

After all, necessity is the mother of invention.  And during these trying times, we've enjoyed developing solutions that continue to address the necessities our partners have in order to make it through such challenging times.

So please reach out to us with your questions, wishlist, concerns, and challenges. No matter what, we’re here to help.

If you’re looking to get your A/R program off the ground and wondering what the effort will take, just reach out to us. We’re happy to mock-up a process and sample user experience. We can help you test the program on a few product categories and scale-up based on a well-defined experience.