India had 180-190 million online shoppers in 2021 and the figure is expected to grow to 400-450 million by 2027. The biggest drawback of online shopping is experiencing an object in 3D in a virtual, two-dimensional environment. AR can help bridge the gap between shopping at a physical location and shopping online. Perfect Corp is working in this space. They use facial 3D modelling, and AI deep learning technologies to empower brands with product try-on, facial diagnostics, and digital consultation solutions to provide consumers with an enjoyable, personalised, and convenient omnichannel shopping experience.
The Taiwan-based company is expanding its business to one of the growing markets of beauty, fashion, and skin technology. They are making their debut in India with a partnership with several brands. Here’s what Tanuj Mishra, country head of Perfect Corp, told us.
How can AR have a transformative effect on the shopping sector?
One of the limitations of e-commerce is the difficulty of representing a physical, three-dimensional product in a virtual, two-dimensional environment. There are still certain purchases for which consumers need a little bit more contextual information. AR can help bridge the gap between shopping at a physical location and shopping online by making it easier to represent merchandise and giving the consumer a better understanding of the product, they’re purchasing.
Perfect Corp leverages this transformative power of AR to build and democratise access to enriching digital shopping experiences. We are making the world of beauty and fashion retail more personalised and immersive. Our powerful AI technology with deep learning algorithms empowers brands with true-to-life virtual try-ons, skin diagnostics, and online AR makeup tutorial technology to provide consumers with a convenient, enjoyable, and personalised omnichannel shopping experience, regardless of their location.
With Perfect Corp’s advanced AR virtual try-on for accessories and jewellery, fashion brands can enable virtual try-on for glasses, rings, earrings, bracelets, watches, necklace, headbands, hats and more. This is an excellent addition to any fashion brands’ omnichannel shopping journey, allowing customers to experiment with different looks to find their best fit before purchasing.
Tanuj Mishra, country head of Perfect Corp
India has a population that’s not entirely at ease with using digital technology. Offline is still a big thing here. How do you promote AR in such a market?
In India, AR/VR adoption has grown across business verticals, expanding from $0.34 billion in 2017 to $1.83 billion in 2020 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 75 per cent. In a country like India, where the number of active Internet users is increasing at a very fast rate, we are set to see increased deployment of this technology across sectors. The smartphone penetration is expected to reach 96 per cent by 2040; the AR/AR-based technology accessibility is only expected to grow. As a result, we expect that there will be a large number of people shopping online.
And ever since Covid hit, consumers have become more conscious of their wellness. Even with the restrictions lifted, people are still cautious about testing products in-store. Perfect Corp offers in-store consultation with multi-channel compatibilities. With our offline virtual try-on solution, brands can provide coherent virtual try-on experiences, reduce the reliance on physical samples, and let shoppers virtually try on more products effortlessly.
What are some of the brand partnerships Perfect Corp has?
Perfect Corp was launched in 2015, with a mission to build brand loyalty with Virtual Try-On. We are pushing the frontiers of technology to offer results-driven, inclusive, interactive, and sustainable solutions that can be easily integrated into a brand’s website and apps, as well as various social media channels.
As part of our commitment, we are bringing our outstanding technology to India, one of the growing markets of beauty, fashion, and skin technology. Currently, we are pioneering in beauty, fashion and skin where we are looking to support our partners with AR/AI-enabled shopping experiences. Some of the brands that we have on board are The Good Glam Group, Estée Lauder, Clinique, NARS, MAC, Tarte, Benefit and Jill Stuart.