New AR experiences could benefit retail

If Pokemon Go didn’t bring people walking into retail Pokestops, new games on the horizon just might.

Augmented Reality games like Pokemon Go get people out of the house and into the world while playing a game on their smart phones. Pokemon Go was arguably the first of its kind, or at least the first to hit it big.

When Pokemon Go was released last year, developer Niantic Labs expected 50 million downloads in six months. They got 50 million downloads in 19 days, according to SensorTower, a research firm.

Things got wild for a while, generating $1.2 billion in revenue. While the game is not nearly as popular today, it still has 65 million active users.  According to USA Today, that is more than Candy Crush Saga (61 million) and Clash Royale (8.5 million).

So AR games are not going away.

Facebook is planning an AR experience. And Apple released a developer kit for AR during its June developers’ conference.

Chances are, retail companies will find a new AR experience bringing foot traffic to stores soon. Even AR shopping experiences are possible. Stay tuned.