Mountain Hardwear has launched an initiative offering retailers the opportunity to show its equipment and apparel in augmented reality (AR).

The consumer AR app has already been launched in the US and plans are now underway to offer it to European consumers, in order to promote the summer and winter product lines.

In developing this technology, the team at Mountain Hardwear identified several obstacles in the buying experience: limited time to spend in retail stores, difficulty of in-store setup, store availability, and guesswork about online assets.

With the help of Transparent House, a creative agency based in San Francisco, AR renders of Mountain Hardwear products are displayed with a high level of visual fidelity.

“We believe technology is something that should be thoughtfully applied, not used because it is trendy,” said David Scott Van Woert, director of business development at Mountain Hardwear. “The result is an app that is as enjoyable to look at as it is intuitive to use.”

Snow Burns, vice president of global marketing at Mountain Hardwear, added: “We believe the ability to superimpose digital products and information on a user’s actual environment will change retail – we don’t see technology as contrary to getting outside, we see it as an opportunity to enhance the experience.”

The app was first launched for both retailers and consumers in the US in January at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show. It will continue to be rolled out with additional assets to expand its ‘virtual gear closet’.

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