Apple’s Vision Pro isn’t just a headset; it heralds a new era of spatial commerce

A new user experience paradigm

While not the first attempt at integrating mixed reality into the shopping experience, the launch of the Vision Pro marked a pivotal moment, with the release of over 600 apps curated to create a new brand environment for shoppers.

Brands such as J. Crew, Mytheresa, Elf Cosmetics, Alo, and sportswear retailer Decathlon have all developed new shopping experiences for customers within the Vision Pro, revolutionizing the customer experience and adding a new commercial engagement channel for the retail market: spatial commerce.

As my colleague Robin Moser, AR/VR consultant at EPAM Continuum says, the Vision Pro is “the first version of an entirely new product category: spatial computing”. This technology has the potential to not only generate new revenue streams but also reduce costs and increase productivity for businesses. The challenge now lies in brands understanding and capitalizing on this transformative technology.

How Mytheresa is making the most of mixed-reality

One standout case is luxury fashion retailer Mytheresa’s virtual shopping experience, incorporating the Vision Pro. The brand invites its customers to shop from Paris by night, with a photorealistic 3D immersive environment feauring the Eiffel Tower. Choices include strappy Saint Laurent heels and sparkly Alaïa ballet flats. Or perhaps you prefer to enjoy the sea? Another immersive experience takes you to a beach in Capri, complete with spatial audio of lapping waves and seagulls and a ‘Dolce Vita’ collection, including a Loewe beach tote and a Loro Piana swimsuit.

Customers can select pieces curated for these environments (and see product details) with eye and hand movements. They can also add items to a wishlist and purchase the physical item using Apple Pay. This unmatched quality of interaction and immersion in a brand’s environment, enhanced by photorealistic 3D settings, transcends the conventional retail experience.

Reinventing the shopping experience

With the tide turning towards MR retail, the Vision Pro is on course to radically altering our perspective towards shopping. Resolution quality is unparalleled; seeing realistic products on a larger-than-life scale immerses the customer in a brand’s environment. It’s the closest, or the next best thing, to seeing a product in person in a store.

For brands, mixed reality could finally become another retail channel where customers can see photorealistic versions of clothing, style them, and buy more confidently. It can become a virtual extension of the brand’s flagship store where customers can interact with the brand and explore the stories behind it.

As Moser says, “Designing and developing experiences for the spatial computing platform requires careful consideration of its unique characteristics, intuitive user interfaces, and innovative augmented reality elements.” Businesses that tailor experiences according to industry-specific needs will also be able to take full advantage of this technology and redefine their market position.

The Vision Pro has introduced new ways to navigate spatial computing, bringing unprecedented input methods into the mainstream. The fusion of mixed reality into the fashion retail experience offers exciting prospects. It can create a revolutionary shift in the industry by redefining shopping norms, fine-tuning the consumer experience, and nurturing a new era of consumer-brand relationships.

While the exact impact of mixed reality and Apple’s Vision Pro on the industry remains to be seen, the future holds virtual, immersive and limitless possibilities.