Bloobloom launches virtual try on to help customers select glasses from home

French eyewear brand Bloobloom, which has opened six stores across London this year, has just launched a new online virtual try on (VTO) service to help customers confidently select their glasses from the comfort of their own homes.

VTO utilises a camera function on either a tablet or laptop which involves the integration of augmented reality (AR) technology, allowing customers to view the glasses “in a digitally generated overlay onto a real-world image”. In short, it means they can visualise how the glasses will look on their face prior to purchasing.

The new online VTO service will also minimise returns and refunds, reduce costs and up Bloobloom’s sustainability credentials by curbing unnecessary shipping and product waste. It will also streamline the process and the need to dispatch physical samples.

The brand hopes it will help elevate customer satisfaction and create loyalty in what is a highly competitive market.

Abbas Manai, Co-Founder at Bloobloom, said: “We’ve developed our virtual try on feature to be photorealistic, seamless and easy to use. This will make it easier for customers to buy glasses online without trying them on in real life, and we’re also really excited about it as a tool for people to narrow down their ‘Home Try On’ choices. The result is an experience so life like you’ll think you’re actually wearing them.”

The move to add VTO comes with the shift towards online shopping and customers seeking a personalised and immersive experience that mirrors the traditional in-store try on process.

Bloobloom’s new AW23 collection consists of 26 new styles, with six new models already launched. The VTO service will give Bloobloom’s consumers the opportunity to test out the new shapes and see which are best suited to their face shapes.

Bloobloom kicked off its London retail roll-out in March 2023 with stores on Carnaby Street and Marylebone High Street. It has since added four more stores in the capital, in Covent Garden, Westfield London, Canary Wharf and on the King’s Road, Chelsea. A seventh store will be added this autumn at Battersea Power Station.