“We knew that despite lockdown, people would still need to buy glasses. So, the goal was to provide more convenience to people with eyecare needs.”

As part of its digital transformation, which involved website replatforming and moving to a custom booking system, Bailey Nelson partnered with 3D and AR platform Plattar.

It’s the first time Bailey Nelson has dabbled in AR and Kerridge was adamant about getting the experience right. 

“I found that a lot of the technology that was in the market and that our competitors were utilising was quite out of date, in my opinion. I was looking for the latest facial recognition technology that provides a really accurate and realistic try-on experience so that when someone buys a pair of glasses it’s as close as possible to what they’ve tried on,” he said.  

The technology introduced at Bailey Nelson can be used on any device but Kerridge says the best experience is on an iPhone X or newer model. The customer selects the pair of glasses they would like to try and clicks ‘Virtual try-on’. The front-facing camera opens and detects the facial features of the customer before overlaying the glasses on the face in real-time.

Increased conversion rates

The technology was trialled on its core range of 60 products to start with and the use of the product was measured.

“It was somewhere between 8-10 per cent [of online customers using it at the start]; it’s now, somewhere between 15-20 per cent. So we could see that there was a very clear demand for the service,” Kerridge said. 

The technology has since been rolled out across all markets, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK, and buying confidence through the use of AR has increased, with 15 per cent of total site users now utilising virtual try-on.

Use of the technology increased during lockdowns when customers were no longer able to visit a store to try-on glasses in person. During Sydney’s current lockdown, use of Bailey Nelson’s virtual try-on has increased by 68 per cent compared to pre-lockdown rates, with 39 per cent of all online shoppers in the areas using the service. 

And customers satisfied with the experience are proceeding with an online purchase. In Australia there has been a 400 per cent increase in conversion rate for customers using the virtual try-on tool compared to those viewing traditional product pages. While in Canada, which has experienced more prolonged lockdowns, Bailey Nelson saw a 600 per cent increase in the conversion rate.  

Virtual tech via new channels

Now, Bailey Nelson is looking at ways to introduce this technology to the customer via new channels including stores, allowing customers to try on glasses that are out of stock.

“Customers will be able to jump on a tablet, and access virtual try-on in store and we’re also working on a mobile application where AR will be a key component,” Kerridge said. 

The in-store team will also use virtual technology to assist with the various measurements that need to be taken in optometry to help provide a better and more consistent customer experience.

The next step is to promote the technology through email marketing and advertising channels.