Covent Garden to offer augmented reality shopping

London’s Covent Garden has transformed its shopping area into the world’s first augmented reality (AR) retail district for Christmas in partnership with AR app Blippar.

Over 140 participating stores and restaurants in Covent Garden will be introducing new AR applications over the next six weeks in what Blippar states will be the largest showcase of AR technology ever attempted in one location. The idea is to merge bricks and clicks, while offering visitors a fun and digitally enhanced immersive shopping experience.

Brands taking part includes Mulberry, Dior, and The Watch Gallery, while retailers including Hackett, Sandro, Kiehl’s, Charlotte Tilbury, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Ted Baker, and Paul Smith will be providing AR beauty and fashion gift guides which can be accessed through the Blippar app.

In addition, families can meet Santa in an interactive neighbourhood Grotto and embark on an AR treasure hunt to catch reindeers hidden around Covent Garden, including the largest digital reindeer ever which will soar around the famous Piazza, merging the real and virtual worlds.

Shoppers will also be able to unlock exclusive offers from the UK’s first AR Christmas tree, a 50-foot spectacle in the heart of the Piazza, which will be decorated with “offers” that can only be unlocked through Blippar.

Beverley Churchill, creative director of Capco Covent Garden, said: “We are looking forward to merging the old and the new, the real and the virtual in Covent Garden this Christmas to create a unique and truly magical shopping experience with our friends at Blippar.”

Blippar chief operating officer Danny Lopez added: “We are very excited to use the festive season as a backdrop for demonstrating the potential of augmented reality. This year we at Blippar will help digitally enhance the Christmas shopping experience and I’m thrilled that millions of visitors will be a part of such an exciting event.”

Images: courtesy of Blippar