Snap wants to change the way we shop…and it might just beat big tech to the punch

Snapchat is arming retail brands with new shopping capabilities—powered by augmented reality and AI—for both online and brick-and-mortar experiences.

Snap first announced its new software-as-a-service business for retailers in late March, unveiling a “Shopping Suite” that includes features like a 3D viewer, augmented-reality try-on, and an AI fit finder. (Early clients included Goodr, Princess Polly, and Gobi Cashmere.)

AR Enterprise Services (ARES) enables retailers to bring Snap’s technologies in-house to their own websites, apps, and stores.

At the annual Snap Partner Summit on April 19, head of AR enterprise solutions Jill Popelka announced a hardware addition to the offerings: Snap AR Mirrors for virtual try-ons in store.

“AR Mirrors showcase our technology, designed specifically for physical screens,” Popelka said. “With our Mirrors, customers can virtually try on products without having to haul a pile of clothes to wait in line.”

Dream teams: Snap, which isn’t new to high-profile retail partners, has already enlisted Nike and Men’s Wearhouse to test out the Mirror in select stores, and Popelka said Nike will be testing out footwear-specific Mirrors later this year to allow shoppers to “try on” custom designs.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is using Snap’s Mirror technology for an AR vending machine prototype, which is operated using hand gestures.

Big picture: The Mirrors aren’t Snap’s first foray into hardware. Nor is Snap the only tech company to chase the dream of physical AR devices. But experts have remained skeptical about AR hardware and its potential for shopping, and not without reason:

In 2016, Snap released video-sharing sunglasses, just two years after Google’s 2014 release of Google Glass. Snap’s version ended up costing the company around $40 million in unsold glasses, and in March, Google discontinued the enterprise version of its lenses (the consumer version was pulled off the market in 2015).

But Snap may be the dark horse leading the AR shopping device revolution: Its AR Mirror (already in use in retail) comes several weeks ahead of the long-anticipated release of Apple’s mixed reality headset, and years in advance of Meta’s promised take on smart glasses.