Augmented Reality (AR) technology allows to overlap digital objects onto the physical world and enables the user to interact with them directly. Besides enhancing the UX, AR proved to be useful in several different application scenarios, such as tourism and education, just to mention a few. In this project, we investigated whether AR could be a valuable tool to support consumer decision-making. A dedicated AR app has been developed to show users the nutritional facts (healthy and unhealthy ingredients, energy, and nutritional values) of two categories of products, namely granola bars and cold breakfast cereals. The augmented information would be easily readable and accessible to the user. This experimental condition was compared with a traditional shopping experience, in which consumers can grab the box from the shelf and explore it.

We found that the AR app supported consumers at choosing healthier products, despite the popularity of the brand.
This result is promising because it suggests the extent to which AR technology can be truly helpful at bringing to the foreground the data that is needed to the user to make a decision in a specific situation, thereby relieving them, at least in part, from information clutter.

References:

Pini, V., Orso, V., Pluchino, P., & Gamberini, L. (2023). Augmented grocery shopping: fostering healthier food purchases through AR. Virtual Reality, 1-12.