Until recently, the digital transformation of everyday life was associated with smart speakers and food delivery applications. But today, the familiar reality is undergoing profound changes. The consumer experience has moved from the search bar to social feeds and algorithmically driven ecosystems, where the key role is played not by intention, but by impulse, backed by instant satisfaction technologies. What kind of tools will change our way of life and approach to shopping?
Algorithmic lifestyle: from shopping to anticipation
The classic “Attention-Interest-Desire-Action” model is becoming obsolete. It is being replaced by the “Discovery-Engagement-Conversion” paradigm. The algorithms of social platforms and smart home devices are turning into personal shopping assistants that not just respond to requests, but anticipate needs.
This trend leads to the formation of “closed ecosystems of consumption.” A user who has watched a short video, for example, about a new gadget for the kitchen, will be able to instantly “try it on” in his room via AR, approve the purchase by voice and receive the order within a few hours. For business owners, this means that the struggle for customer attention is shifting from contextual advertising in search engines to integration into everyday algorithmic flows. The brand whose product is organically integrated into the scenario of a person’s life, and not just presented on a showcase, will be successful.
Hyperpersonalization on the verge of telepathy
Personalization of the future is the creation of a unique product or service in real time. Analyzing a large amount of information will allow brands to offer solutions that the consumer has not yet had time to formulate. For example, platforms will use mood data (voice and facial expression analysis through the camera) or an upcoming event. The AI will be able to create a unique sketch of the interior according to your individual request. And a virtual fitting, as in VRTOOL, will become a creative partner offering dozens of options based on the user’s involuntary reaction.
UGC: from simple reviews to interactive formats
Social networks of the future are not just platforms for publishing photos and videos, but spaces for joint creation and testing of products. Consumers will be able to share their opinions about the purchased furniture and at the same time participate in its virtual customization directly in the feed. Thus, the user’s honest review will be complemented by the opportunity to “try on” an object they like in their interior through an AR filter.
Shopertainment 3.0: When fitting and buying is a game
The trend of merging shopping and entertainment will move to a new level. If today these are live streams with sales, then tomorrow there will be full-fledged immersive games and metaverses for making customer decisions. Purchasing a sofa will turn into a quest: a user wearing VR glasses will be able to put it in a virtual living room and “live” a day in this space, appreciating the lighting at different times of the day and the convenience for family watching movies.
Augmented and virtual reality technologies, such as VRTOOL, can also help with the purchase of consumer goods. Clothes, appliances — everything can be tested in a virtual environment. This will drastically reduce the number of impulse purchases and reduce the percentage of refunds to a minimum. For businesses, the key indicator will be not just conversion, but the depth of customer engagement — the time that the user spent interacting with the product in virtual space.
What should a business do today?
The restructuring of business models must begin now. Successful companies focus on the following steps:
- Investments in “invisible” technologies — API integration for voice assistants, development of AR masks for social networks, compatibility with smart home ecosystems are more important than the development of a separate mobile application.
- Creation of hybrid professional teams — bringing together marketers, data specialists, and UX designers to design a seamless customer experience where there is no boundary between content, service, and purchase.
- The transition from selling a product to selling a scenario — a business should think about which daily scenario of a consumer’s life the product fits into and which problem it solves at the algorithm level.
- Adoption of new generation metrics — ROAS (payback on advertising costs) and LTV (customer lifecycle) will be replaced by metrics that measure virality and organic engagement.
The next five years may finally blur the line between online and offline, between shopping and entertainment, informed choice and algorithmic recommendation. The winners will be those business owners who stop thinking about sales funnels and start building ecosystems that live according to the laws of a new, impulsive and technologically saturated way of life.
For the end customer, consumption will become less time- and effort-consuming, but more dependent on the quality of algorithms and trust in platforms. On the one hand, this will provide a higher level of convenience and personalization, on the other, it will require the users to manage their digital footprints consciously and be attentive to who they delegate the choice to. The key skill of the consumer will be the ability to build comfortable and trusting relationships with technological intermediaries who will take over the routine of daily purchases.
By Anastasia Kondakova, business development, retail and business digitalization expert, co-founder of the BUTONI selective home goods platform with 3D fitting, founder of the VRTOOL APP IT solutions service for businesses