Target Uses AR To Sell Christmas Trees – PYMNTS.com

Target is selling Christmas trees at twice the normal rate thanks to its augmented reality shopping tool.

Its new shopping app feature, “See It in Your Space,” allows customers to virtually place an artificial tree or other decor items in their living room, Senior Vice President of Digital Dawn Block said in an interview, according to Bloomberg.

The offering comes as Target is trying to take on Amazon during the holiday season. Target is offering free two-day shipping without a minimum order between Nov. 1 and Dec. 22, with Target CEO Brian Cornell saying, “I have never felt better about our position and our readiness to deliver against the holiday season. As those [Toys R Us and Sears] stores close, it’s real market share that’s up for grabs.”

In addition, the retailer expanded curbside pickup to two new markets, California and Colorado. The retailer is already seeing a 10 percent rise in orders with the new service.

And retailers are hopeful that this holiday season will be a success. More than 165 million Americans shopped online or in stores from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday this year, beating the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) estimate of 164 million.

The NRF revealed that the average shopper spent $313.29 on gifts and other holiday items during the five-day shopping period. Older millennials and Generation Xers spent the most, with average purchase sizes at $413.05.

“For several years, we’ve been talking about the dynamic nature of the retail industry and the speed of change necessary to meet the consumer demand,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “This year’s research clearly shows that the investments made by retailers are paying off in a big way. Over the last couple of days, what I heard in discussions with retail CEOs across all categories and segments was very positive, driven by macro conditions of low unemployment and rising wages combined with the right mix of merchandise at great prices. This is a very strong emotional start to the holiday season, and a positive indicator of where we are headed over the next month.”