Amazon and Walmart Tap Imaging Tech to Improve eCommerce Experience

Amazon and Walmart are looking to make the online shopping experience more visual in an effort to boost consumers’ eCommerce engagement.

Amazon’s Image Searches

Amazon, for its part, has been touting its visual search capabilities with its Amazon Lens tool. The eCommerce giant shared in a news release Monday (July 22) how the technology enables consumers to upload images to find products similar to those that appear, to do the same with real-time shots directly from a device’s camera and to scan barcodes on items to see the product’s Amazon page.

Certainly, consumers want technology that offers easier search experiences. The study “AI-Enabled Payments Enhance Customer Options,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and ACI Worldwide collaboration, found that 84% of consumers search online with artificial intelligence (AI) every week and 52% receive AI-powered product recommendations online.

Walmart’s Virtual Try-On

Walmart, too, is evidently exploring stepping up the visual capabilities of its eCommerce platforms. On Tuesday (July 23), the company released its first annual “Adaptive Retail Report,” featuring results from a survey that examined consumer interest in technologies such as virtual try-ons and other features to see how items would appear in the real world.

“Advancements in technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence are transforming how consumers engage with retailers,” Richard Kowalski, reviewer of the study and senior director, business intelligence at Consumer Technology Association, said in a statement included in the press release. “The latest research from Walmart and Morning Consults shows that consumers have high expectations for how technology will improve their shopping experiences in the future.”

This focus on virtual try-on and visualization technologies suggests that Walmart may be looking to step up its existing presence in the space, with its beauty, apparel and accessories digital trial offerings.

These Technologies Impact Merchant Choice

Indeed, having intuitive, simple digital experiences can be key to winning and maintaining shoppers’ loyalty. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces,” created in collaboration with Adobe, found that 40% of consumers surveyed said that they consider how easy to navigate the merchant’s online store is when selecting a digital merchant.

Additionally, there is interest among shoppers in visual omnichannel shopping experiences, per PYMNTS Intelligence’s report “How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers,” which drew from a survey of more than 4,600 U.S. consumers. The study found that, among the 95% of consumers who own connected devices, 39% would be interested in using an app on their phone to see how a piece of clothing would look on them before buying it, and 5% already do this. Plus, 38% said they would be interested in using virtual technology to see how items look in their room before buying them, and 6% already do this.

As Amazon and Walmart invest in advanced imaging technologies, they are setting new standards for online shopping experiences. By making their platforms more visually intuitive and interactive, these retail giants are not only catering to current consumer expectations but also shaping the future of eCommerce.

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