The global consulting firm Accenture surveyed more than 11,000 consumers from 16 countries about their use of immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The result: interest is growing – also in Germany. Companies should invest in these new technologies now in order not to be left behind.
Almost two thirds (61 percent) of the 410 German consumers surveyed bought a virtual product or service or took part in a virtual event in the past year. Accenture’s latest Global Consumer Pulse Survey predicts this trend to continue, with 79 percent of respondents interested in making purchases through the Metaverse.
Every third German (35 percent) also stated that they had already contacted a retailer in the virtual world to get advice, make a payment or get to know the range of goods. 48 percent of the people interviewed in Germany are planning such a visit for the next year. If you look at millennials worldwide, these values even rise to 61 percent.
Test the possibilities of the Metaverse
For the consulting firm, one thing is clear: “The Metaverse era has begun. For consumer-oriented companies, it is no longer a question of whether they want to invest in the Metaverse, but how,” says David Holtmann, Managing Director for Consumer Goods & Services at Accenture in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
This means that companies now have to find out and test what new opportunities are opening up for them. “In addition to new sales opportunities, the Metaverse can also help to strengthen customer loyalty, for example through special events and experiences that go beyond the mere purchase of a product. Retailers can create personalized experiences by offering live stream shopping events where customers can not only interact with a brand ambassador, but also try on something in a virtual fitting room, add the desired item to the shopping cart and proceed to checkout,” says Holtmann continue.
Globally increasing need to connect the worlds
This development is also gaining in importance from a global perspective. According to the Accenture Technology Vision 2022 “Meet Me in the Metaverse: The Continuum of Technology and Experience Reshaping Business”, more than half of consumers (55 percent) worldwide believe that everyday life and lifestyles are becoming more and more virtual would relocate.
The vast majority of retail executives, at over 90 percent, also expect leading brands to expand the virtual world to make it more realistic. This also increases the need for continuous and seamless navigation between the digital and real worlds.
Another 72 percent of global leaders believe the Metaverse will have a positive impact on their organizations. Almost half (45 percent) even think that the Metaverse will have a groundbreaking or transformative effect. This applies not only to retail, but to all consumer-related sectors such as retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and tour operators.
The Global Consumer Pulse Survey included a representative sample of 11,311 consumers from 16 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam . The survey was conducted between February 7th and 15th, 2022.
For the “Accenture Technology Vision 2022” study, 24,000 consumers worldwide were asked about their use of technology in everyday life and their attitudes towards it. In addition, Accenture conducted a survey of 4,650 executives from 23 industries to determine their perspectives and the extent to which new technologies are being used in their companies. The surveys were conducted in 35 countries from December 2021 to January 2022.