Pentland ventures into AR shopping with the Speedo Mirror app

Pentland Brands, the business behind sports, outdoor and fashion brands including Speedo, Berghaus and Canterbury of New Zealand, has made its first move into AR (Augmented Reality) shopping with the trial of the new Speedo Mirror app.

Speedo Mirror has been hailed as a "ground-breaking digital shopping experience", which helps customers find the best goggles for their face shape and size anywhere by using the app on their smart phone. Using the latest 3D face scanning technology, the app recommends the best fitting product in real-time and provides an instant preview of the product on the customer’s face

Speedo has spent the last two months trialling the technology. Using a tablet device, 3,500 users have virtually tried on over 30,000 goggles and received 2,500 custom-made recommendations.

Ben Hardman, Head of Innovation at Pentland Brands, explained: “The Speedo Mirror app is a great example of how we’re combining digital and product innovation in our brands, which is becoming increasingly important as consumers interact with products in the digital space.

“This technology will undoubtedly enhance our customers’ shopping experiences by allowing them to interact with the product before they make a purchase. In this instance, it helps them address a well-documented human pain point: leaky goggles.”

The AR app marks Speedo’s first foray into App Store shopping, allowing consumers to try all available goggle styles before they buy, with the option of purchasing in-app.

Hardman added that it had the potential to create applications for other brands within the group: “What’s significant is that the technology can be applied to any footwear, apparel or accessories that are custom-fitted. Across the Pentland Brands portfolio there are plenty of opportunities for us to think about how we can use AR to make our brands and products even more accessible.”