Snapchat’s adding another string to its in-stream commerce bow, via a new partnership with Amazon which will see thousands of Amazon’s top-selling eyewear models added as Snap Lenses for virtual try-on in the app.

As you can see in this example, the ‘Amazon Fashion’ profile in the app will now feature a wide range of virtual try-on choices for eyewear, essentially acting as a complementary channel for online purchase of the same via Amazon.

As explained by Snap:  

“The new Snapchat try-on Lenses feature thousands of Amazon’s popular eyewear products, enabling Amazon brands to leverage their Amazon AR assets and showcase styles in a fun, interactive experience to millions of Snapchatters.”

Snap says that customers will be able to explore, shop and digitally try-on thousands of eyewear styles directly in the app, then ‘seamlessly purchase in the Amazon Fashion store’.

The process works in partnership with Amazon’s recently launched AR try-on display options for glasses in its app, with retailers now able to pair their AR creations across to Snap as well, to maximize reach.

“More customers are turning to mobile shopping – in the past year, Amazon Fashion customers ordered more than one billion fashion items on mobile devices. The growing Snapchat community of 363M daily active users now have access to Amazon’s popular eyewear brands, including Maui Jim, Persol, Oakley, and Costa Del Mar, among others.”

This is one of the key opportunities for AR, in acting as a supplementary channel for testing out items that you’re looking to purchase online. The downfall of online shopping is that consumers can’t actually see the item and get a sense of what it feels like. AR is the closest simulation of such, and while it is fairly limited at present, in terms of scaling virtual items to the correct size, and providing a realistic user experience, the technology is always evolving, with improved LiDAR detection in newer phone models now facilitating all new options for AR simulation tools.

And have no doubt, Snap will be looking to lean into this. Snap’s already developing more advanced AR models, to provide more product display options, and enhanced virtual experiences, and as the technology continues to advance, you can bet that Snap will continue to add in more AR shopping enhancements along the same lines.

That could be a big opportunity, both for the immediate future and in the longer term, within the projected metaverse shift.