• by Colin Kirkland , January 31, 2022

Today, Pinterest announced the U.S. rollout of Try On for Home Decor, a shopping technology and experience that allows users to virtually “try before they buy” various home-based items via augmented reality (AR).

Major retailers are already on board, including Crate & Barrel, CB2, Macy’s, Target, West Elm, and Wayfair. 

Pinners browsing for home-decor products in the iOS or Android app will now be able to click on the three dots appearing in the top right corner of “Try On enabled” Pins.

By selecting “Try in your space,” they will see a virtual version of a sofa or chair they are interested in, for example, through their camera lens. From there, they can situate the item in their home, browse product information, and check out via the linked retailer’s site. 

This is Pinterest’s third installment of “Try On” over the past two years.

Try On Lipstick launched in 2020 and Try On Eyeshadow followed in 2021. Try On for Home Decor is launching live across over 80,000 shoppable Pins while the beauty experience is currently available across 14,000 shoppable Pins. 

According to a recent statement, Pinterest has created these virtual shopping experiences in a company-wide move toward preparing for the metaverse –– a term related to the uncertain future of the internet, recently made popular by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. 

AR and virtual reality (VR) technologies have gained momentum in the mobile ecommerce market, with other social platforms creating similar one-stop shopping experiences. Just last week, Snapchat –– a leader in the AR space –– launched try-on lenses that connect users directly to a company’s product catalog.   

Fashion and home decor are among the most translatable and popular ecommerce industries for mobile AR technologies of this kind. According to Pinterest data, 9 in 10 weekly Pinners say AR enhances their shopping experiences, and 6 in 10 say they use it to finalize purchase decisions. 

According to consumer trends agency Foresight Factory, mobile is the preferred channel for 34% of global consumers, with 40% having shopped more on mobile since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Forty-six percent of consumers reported that their mobile device was integral to their shopping process, while for millennials and Gen Z, this number increased to 50%. 

These findings suggest that “Try On” AR models may already be a consumer expectation. And they are effective, as they have the ability to bring consumers seamlessly through their decision -- making process all in one place.