Augmented Reality in Video Commerce : Affordances and Limitations of Virtual Try-On Technology For Luxury Beauty Consumption.

Abstract: Providing personalized and exclusive services to customers has traditionally relied on in-person interactions between employees and customers. This paper explores video commerce supported by virtual try-On (VTO) technology for personalized and exclusive shopping experiences in the digital environment. The purpose of this study is to identify the affordances and limitations of online luxury beauty consultations supported by VTO. The research methodology primarily involved exploration of the field, market- and UX research. From the results, a set of personas were created, to serve as a heuristic for further research and future development of the technology. Furthermore, the study reveals that the level of decision comfort and satisfaction with the service varies depending on the type of targeted customer. In conclusion, despite a number of technical limitations within the current solution, the perspectives and experiences provided by luxury beauty partners and participants indicate that there is a large potential in online consultations to bring the luxury personalized in-store experience to the digital environment.