IKEA Launches Interactive Augmented-Reality Catalog App To Trial Items At Homes

Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA might be primarily known as a manufacturer of furniture, recently added an augmented reality (AR) function to its 2014 catalogue. The augmented reality catalogue app will allow users to place items in their home using a tablet or smartphone, even offering accurate dimensions by using the physical catalogue itself.

Customers in the UK will be able to trial IKEA furniture in their homes by placing the 2014 catalogue in the space where they wish to put the future product. Using the app they can scan the catalogue and place the object in the room.

Customers will be able to trial IKEA furniture in their homes by placing the 2014 catalogue in the space where they wish to put the future product

The 2014 IKEA Catalogue app then uses the catalogue to gauge the accurate size and shape of the item, with the product then appearing on screen.

Users can then look at how the colour, shape and size of the item work in the desired room.

Mobile app means customers can test furniture from the comfort of their own home. The app currently features 90 products including sofas, chairs, desks, beds, chest of drawers and bookcases.

The app currently features 90 products including sofas, chairs, desks, beds, chest of drawers and bookcases

"Our customers want to be able to test out whether the products they’ve been inspired by in our catalogue will work in their own homes – particularly when it comes to larger pieces of furniture," said Peter Wright, country marketing manager of Ikea in the UK and Ireland.

"Offering a way of using mobile technology to enable to test products means the technology has a practical purpose and really helps customers visualise the way their homes could look."

According to IKEA’s research, 14% of their customers claim to have bought the wrong-sized furniture for their homes, while as many as 70% say they have no idea how big their homes really are, so hopefully with the AR app, it should make things a little clearer and easier.

The AR app make it clearer and easier for customers to buy appropriate size product for their home

The new app will launch in the Apple App Store and Google Play on 25 August 2013 for Android and iOS devices.

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IKEA Launches Interactive Augmented-Reality Catalog App To Trial Items At Homes