First Bathrooms App Proves Augmented Reality is the Future of Retail

LONDON, October 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Bathrooms.com launch new app allowing consumers to place 3D furniture anywhere

Bathrooms.com (http://www.bathrooms.com/) today announces the launch of the first augmented reality app for bathrooms. The app allows you to virtually place life-sized 3D bathroom furniture anywhere and even walk around it as if it were really in your home.

Bathrooms.com's new app lets consumers clearly see how a new product would look and feel in their home. This virtual showroom brings together the convenience of online shopping and the security of purchasing products in a store.

Lucy Powell, Buying Director, commented: "Despite the use of multimedia it is still very difficult for a consumer to clearly see what it would be like to have a product in their home. This app finally gives people the chance to actually walk around a product prior to purchase and see how the colours and materials would work with their existing décor.

The app is free to download from the app store and works on any iOS device that is connected to the internet. To make the app work the user needs to follow these simple steps:

1. Launch the app and quickly print off an A4 marker directly from the app or the Bathrooms.com website.
2. Then chose the product that you want to see in your home.
3. Place the marker where you would like to see the object.
4. Point your iOS device at the printed marker, press "visualise" on the app and watch the product come to life in 3D, allowing you to walk around it and zoom in close to see the product's texture and surface finish.

Users can customise the colour and type of furniture and even order it right there.  The app also allows you to take photos of what each piece looks like in any given space, and share these via social channels and email to get feedback from family and friends.

The "marker" is important because it gives each product a real-world location, enabling you to walk around the product in 3D and look at it from all angles or even zoom in and out, just like you would with a physical object. This helps customers to clearly see if a product will fit into the space they have and work with their existing décor.

Founder and CEO of Bathrooms.com, Ian Monk said;

"We are thrilled to be the first to launch this augmented reality app in the bathrooms space. Buying online has always felt the lack of showrooms experience, but now with our new app we can provide an experience to the customer that is actually better than a traditional showroom. I feel strongly that this technology will revolutionise the way consumers browse and purchase online and is certainly the future of online retailing."

To download the app you can visit: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bathrooms/id675580279?mt=8

Notes to Editor

Press ready screenshots, headshots and Bathrooms.com logos are available https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uxd0r5t9fpfpr4e/dig8oXb_jN