Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) were already moving into ecommerce when this was written in 2021. A Statista forecast cited then put the worldwide AR and VR market at $209 billion by 2022, and expected application downloads to reach 5.5 billion around then. Those numbers were a forecast for 2022, not a 2026 market size.
In recent years, the demand for new and improved shopping experiences has risen. Customer behavior toward ecommerce has changed immensely. The new breeds of online shoppers – particularly Gen Z and Millennials – want to interact with your products digitally before visiting your store.
With AR and VR technologies, consumers get immersed in a digital world where they can quickly find products and try them on before actually completing the purchase. These cutting-edge technologies completely disrupt the customer experience, converting a prospect to a buyer.
These eight uses were the 2022 list. They are still the practical uses in 2026.
Augmented reality is effective at improving customer satisfaction because it reduces returns. It gives customers a real-time glimpse of a product, its size, and how it will look in their homes.
One ecommerce store that’s doing well with AR-driven placement is the furniture giant, IKEA. The company has an Augmented Reality app that allows users to measure home furniture and see exactly how it would look when fitted into their environments.
Virtual showrooms are a working way to sell products that people want to inspect before they buy. A virtual showroom turns an empty room into a 100% digital scene, where customers can explore a variety of goods. With VR glasses, it’s possible for clients to view distinct products, their characteristics, and costs just as they would in a brick-and-mortar store.
Kia, the famous automotive enterprise, has already taken advantage of VR’s benefits in the ecommerce space. It enables its customers to go through various car models in a virtual environment so they can choose their ideal car easier. Kia deploys a high bar for the VR visuals to allow its would-be clients to drive their dream cars in 1-1 scale.
Navigation powered by augmented reality lets customers move through a large store and find the right product. AR in-store navigation mostly comes in the form of a mobile app. These apps can do much more than provide users with an AR routing by leveraging advanced programming language features such as Python try catch.
AR-driven technology can suggest an optimized shopping route, display the exact location of the desired item, and even guide customers to discounts and gifts sections. One of America’s leading home improvement brands, Lowe’s, uses an in-store navigation app to overlay the directional prompts and help customers shop conveniently.
Stores were expected to adopt more virtual try-on by 2022, so shoppers could see what they were buying. In 2026 that pattern is normal for clothing and shoes, and it has spread further.
This is where AR-embedded mirrors allow customers to try on their desired clothes or shoes without doing it physically. Note that try-on applications are expanding significantly – they’re now available for makeup, furniture, accessories and even eyeglasses.
VR lets potential buyers of houses or apartments take a tour before they visit. The best example is Softengi’s real estate app.
It allows retailers to create an exact model of a house or apartment, and offer the customers to visit virtually using a VR headset. The model is made from a house or apartment that’s in the building phase and can be reconstructed.
Interactive user manuals are a practical use of AR, not only a sales tool. This is especially the case for online stores that sell products with a steep learning curve, such as a coffee machine.
The idea is simple – customers use an AR application to scan the product. They then get access to a virtual walkthrough of the product, such as how to set it up, its features, and more.
Businesses are implementing Augmented Reality Filters to help their clients visualize their products and make more informed purchase decisions. These tools allow customers to try on products like sunglasses, eyeshadows, lipsticks, and more.
Popular companies that are already enjoying this AR technology are Warby Parker Sunglasses Company and Sephora (make-up brand). Sephora has notably developed a virtual assistant that uses facial recognition so customers can try on different colors of makeup.
During the pandemic, ecommerce businesses turned to virtual reality to draw customers in. In 2026 the reason is different. Traditional stores still attract people with the room itself and with how products are displayed, and VR is one way to carry some of that into an online shop.
With 3D products, customers can walk around the VR store, interact with friends, and even ask a virtual member of staff for support if necessary.
Augment Reality and Virtual Reality deliver real, measurable benefits to online brands and their trends for the future are crystal-clear. As we speak, these technologies have already brought tangible transformations to many retail companies, from furniture and luxury goods to cars and more.
AR and VR still help an ecommerce business show the product, cut returns, and give shoppers a reason to stay.
Are you already implementing these technologies or do you have plans to use them in your ecommerce business in the future? We’d love to hear your feedback.