Amazon continues to branch out with Augmented Reality
There are pros and cons to online and offline shopping, and increasingly retailers, particularly Amazon, are trying to find the happy ground between the two using new technologies like drones and new, immersive reality technologies.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Amazon continues to branch out with Augmented Reality', 311 Institute, 21 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/amazon-continues-to-branch-out-with-augmented-reality/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
According to sources Amazon's retail plans could extend well beyond books and groceries, and sources say that the internet retail giant is "exploring" the possibility of appliance and furniture stores with a technological twist that would allow customers to use Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to see how items would look in their own home before they bought them, making it easier to pull the trigger on that new grill or sofa. And there's a chance that Amazon might challenge some of its tech rivals more directly in retail, too.
Reportedly, Amazon is mulling an electronics store that would be similar in concept to Apple's shops, and while Amazon's bookstores already carry some of its devices, these would, naturally, have a "heavy emphasis" on hardware and services like Echo speakers and Prime Video.
The sources were also quick to point out that talking about stores isn't the same as definitive plans, and that there's a chance that Amazon will scrap the ideas if they prove to be unworkable, but nonetheless as new AR and VR technologies help online retailers increasingly blur the boundaries between the digital and the physical world Amazon’s new alleged moves could, if nothing else, help to further erode your reasons to travel down to the shops to check out that sofa or washing machine…
In Amazons world, one that’s filled with literally tens of thousands of small iterative innovations and tweaks that are all designed to, bit by bit, chip away at their competitors competitive advantage, improve the customer experience and improve their overall operational efficiency and margins, such as their drive to become the world’s first fully autonomous fulfilment company, this could just be another small step on Amazon’s path to complete world domination.
What this means for your organisation
Confidence drives big purchases.
Seeing a sofa in your room cuts doubt before buying. Returns and hesitation fall.
Online and physical blur.
Stores become showrooms linked to digital tools. Retail formats will keep changing.
Small tweaks add up.
Constant iterative improvements erode rivals' advantages. Competitors must match the pace.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Which of our products would sell better with AR previews?
- How should our stores combine physical and digital?
- Are we iterating on customer experience fast enough?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
There are pros and cons to online and offline shopping, and increasingly retailers, particularly Amazon, are trying to find the happy ground between the two using new technologies like drones and new, immersive reality technologies.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 21 October 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Amazon continues to branch out with Augmented Reality. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/amazon-continues-to-branch-out-with-augmented-reality/
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