In 2013, Ikea jumped into the world of augmented retail reality, when it released a companion app to go with its catalog — giving Swedish furniture fans access to bonus digital content related to products shown on its pages. A new version of that app is now available, and with it comes some really cool new functionality.

Thanks to proprietary image-recognition technology that's synced with the IKEA product database, the app loads digital content that is localized and up-to-date, which extends the catalog's shelf life from just a couple of weeks to an entire year.

Users can now see what certain pieces of furniture (or at least a digital version of said furniture) will look like in a given room. For the feature to work, users simply need to scan one of the 90 AR-enabled product pages with the app, and toss the catalog on the floor where they want to see the digital version of the product appear. Then, the app superimposes a 3D model of that bit of decor on your mobile device's screen, allowing users to assure their would-be furniture will maintain perfect feng shui without having to actually move stuff around. As retail branding and shopper marketing specialists, our Charlotte marketing agency has had a lot of fun both playing around with the IKEA app as well as envisioning the possibilities for other retailers.