eBay Prepares AR Features For A More Engaging Shopping Experience

In an attempt to increase user engagement to its online shopping platform, e-commerce company eBay is developing augmented reality features that will be rolled out later this year. The firm is also working on a program that will keep sellers hooked on the platform.

Bloomberg reported Tuesday that eBay is working on AR features for its website to make buying and selling goods more engaging. The San Jose, California-based company is said to be developing an AR feature that will enable car enthusiasts to view how a set of new wheels would look on their vehicles before purchasing the products. Another AR kit feature that eBay is concocting will let sellers quickly identify the size of the box they need for an item by just overlaying the box image on the product.

Aside from developing ways to improve the buying and selling experience, eBay is also looking into a program that would encourage sellers to keep their money on the platform. The program is intended to basically give credits to sellers whenever they use the money they make on eBay to purchase items on the digital marketplace. This program is expected to launch when eBay secures a new payment provider after terminating its long-time relationship with PayPal.

Mohan Patt, vice president of buyer experiences at eBay, has also shared that the company is working to improve the artificial intelligence of its platform in order for them to offer a more personal experience to customers. This would entail obtaining and utilizing user data to personalize what shoppers will see the moment they access eBay’s home page. “Personalization is all about getting you to buy things you didn’t know you wanted,” Patt added.

According to CEO Devin Wenig, shoppers look to eBay for unique items at good prices and quick delivery isn’t the only factor that influences buyers’ spending habits. Hence, they have decided to come up with the new features so as to convince more investors that there is room for eBay in the e-commerce market that’s dominated by Amazon.

“A lot of people say e-commerce is about one thing: logistics. That’s not true. Cost, convenience and the inventory itself matters a lot as well,” Wenig said during a technology conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs in San Francisco. The CEO was apparently making a point that super-fast delivery, such as in the case of Amazon, isn’t the only thing that matters in the marketplace.

Wenig also predicted that more closures of brick-and-mortar stores and retail consolidation will be inevitable as more and more shoppers prefer to buy products online. He believes that this will give eBay more opportunities to partner with physical retailers who will be looking to enhance their presence online to continue thriving.