Augmented Reality (AR) technology redefines the retail industry. We analyzed 101 augmented reality startups and the evolution of their various technologies and applications over the last years. AR-based solutions for the retail industry help improve customer experience (e.g., AR-enhanced shopping or in-store augmented navigation), marketing and branding strategies (e.g., AR-enabled poster and packaging), stock and inventory management (e.g., barcode scanner or guided picking in storage), as well as data analysis in real-time (e.g., AR for analysis of customer data). Observing the graph shows that such technologies as AI, computer vision, IoT, and scantech became more heavily used by the start-ups in retail created during the last six years. E-commerce and marketing applications of AR technology in retail dominate the landscape. The augmented reality startups technology is also increasingly used in gaming, fashion, and beauty industries.
