IKEA was one of the first companies that figured out how to take benefits from augmented reality. The 2014 furniture catalog worked not only as a catalog itself, but also as an AR tag.

For many years, Ikea has relied on their own stores to be the main play store for sales. The world is changing, and so is business. Recently, the company has revised its strategy and identified that it needs to integrate into modern innovative projects to open new sales markets.

The decision to create a branded AR application was also important. Augmented reality has become a key factor for Ikea's marketing strategy and future.

With the help of an augmented reality app, customers can pre-evaluate the appearance of furniture and try it on in their homes before purchasing. Catalog-AR tag allowed customers to view three-dimensional models from different angles anywhere-both at home and on the street. With augmented reality, the company has modeled more than 2,000 models for augmented reality.

According to Michael Waldsgaard, a leader in digital transformation, augmented reality allows the buyer to make a "reliable decision” about the purchase. Michael predicted an increase in Ikea's sales from the 1.4 billion that has been received in 2016 to 5 billion euros by 2020. Such jumps are associated with a greater loyalty and engagement of customers, which were formed with the advent of augmented reality technology in the company's app.

Now technology has caught up with our ambitions. Augmented reality has allowed us to truly understand our past and future experience in the furniture trade in our active quest to create comfort and convenience in everyday life,” Waldsgaard concluded. Ikea claims that the 3D models of furniture in the app are shown with 98% accuracy and realistic textures of fabric and materials. This allows customers to make an informed choice for purchase and save their precious time.

There is no need to measure, to compare samples of tissues or haul things home from the store to see what they look like. Ikea, of course, will not be the only company that sells furniture using augmented reality, but it was the first and not only set the trend, but also showed that augmented reality is an incredible and versatile tool with which you can get great results in sales.