The growing use of immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality will spur consumer-facing companies, such as those in retail, consumer goods and travel, to increase investment in new capabilities and experiences to blend physical and virtual worlds, or risk being left behind, according to the findings of a recent global survey from Accenture.
The survey of more than 11,000 consumers in 16 countries found that while 64% of consumers had already purchased a virtual good or taken part in a virtual experience or service in the past year, that figure is expected to rise, as 83% show interest in making purchases via the metaverse.
Furthermore, 42% of survey respondents said they had visited a retailer in the virtual world to get advice, make a payment or browse a product range when shopping for a physical item, while 56% of respondents plan to in the next year – these figures increase to 51% and 61% respectively among Millennials.
According to the Accenture Technology Vision 2022 “Meet Me in the Metaverse: The Continuum of Technology and Experience Reshaping Business”, 55% of consumers agree that more of their lives and livelihoods are moving into digital spaces. In response, 90% of retail executives say that they anticipate that leading organisations will push the boundaries of the virtual world to make it more real, increasing the need for persistence and seamless navigation between the digital and physical worlds.
72% of global executives state that the metaverse will have a positive impact on their organisations, with 45% believing it will be transformational.
Jill Standish, senior managing director and global head of Accenture’s Retail industry group, said: “The metaverse era has begun, and so for consumer-facing companies, it’s not about deciding if they’re going to go into the…