Leroy Merlin South Africa partners with augmented and virtual reality specialist bizAR Reality

The AfricArena 2018 conference showcases Africa’s best start-ups and innovators in front of an audience of local and international investors looking for world-class talent.

This year’s conference was endorsed by the likes of Silicon Cape, Vinci Energies, AirFrance, Engie, Sanofi, Leroy Merlin, the City of Cape Town and RCS Group.

More than 70 start-ups from across the continent competed in 11 open innovation challenges at the two-day conference, in an attempt to impress 15 corporates and over 150 investors.

Leroy Merlin Challenge

Leroy Merlin, a multinational DIY home improvements retailer, has recently opened their first store in Johannesburg, South Africa.

At AfricArena 2018, Leroy Merlin challenged three South African start-ups to create an innovative solution that allows potential customers to explore their showrooms through an immersive experience, without the support of a physical store.

bizAR reality emerges victorious

Equipped with a highly unique proposal and a pitch that delighted both the panel of judges as well as the live audience, augmented and virtual reality specialists, bizAR Reality emerged as the Leroy Merlin challenge winners.

bizAR Reality specifically highlighted that augmented and virtual reality are redefining the customer journey by offering a more informative, interactive and immersive experiences than ever before.

The proposed solution consisted of two main aspects:

1. Using the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality smart glasses, bizAR would create an in-store ‘pop up’ solution that that allows users to see 3D models of Leroy Merlin’s products as if they were physically in front of them.
   
2. Through an augmented reality mobile application, users will also be able to enjoy a take-away experience, giving them the ability to view products inside their actual homes.
   

"We look forward to building a long-lasting partnership with Leroy Merlin South Africa. Based on our years of experience, we believe that our custom augmented and virtual reality solution will help Leroy Merlin to reinvent the customer journey and give them the competitive edge that will help them grow their market share for years to come," says Richard Melvin, the co-founder and sales and marketing director of bizAR Reality.

Join the augmented and virtual revolution

bizAR Reality has worked with some of the largest brands, across various industries, to create value-driven and award-winning applications. Speak to our team and find out how your business can use this technology moving forward into 2019. For more information on our services, email us at az.oc.ytilaerrazib@olleh or visit our website.