What: Virtual immersive experiences can create a positive impact on purchases, but most U.S. consumers aren’t completely sold on the experience.

Why it is important: Recent data from an Alter Agents survey commissioned by Snap and Publicis Media shows that shoppers who use AR are less likely to make returns but adoption of these services is still slow.

Because of a lack of awareness and adoption, retailers who invest in virtual experiences may want to focus more on community building than immediate revenue results. Other digital capability improvements, for things like personalization and store experience, might be a higher priority for retailers right now. Plenty of retailers have been focused on expanding augmented reality try-on features this year, as opposed to virtual reality experiences involving headsets.

The study of over 4,000 consumers found that 80% felt more confident in their purchases when using AR tools.

Tech adoption slow despite positives