Banuba updates virtual try-on platform as retailers automate product digitization
Banuba, an augmented reality company, released updates to its virtual try-on platform that let online retailers reduce the time and labor needed to add products to their digital stores. The company introduced contact lens try-on for its Shopify plugin, one-photo eyewear digitization, and faster onboarding for new retailers.
The updates address a core friction point in retail: converting physical products into digital assets that customers can test before buying. Traditionally, this required designers and developers to manually create digital versions of each product. Banuba's new system uses AI to generate these assets from a single product photo.
"Three things have kept virtual try-on from becoming a default for retailers: producing the assets, integrating into the storefront, and operating at catalogue scale," said Art Polzunov, Product Director at Banuba. "This release uses AI to remove all three."
What retailers can now offer customers
Banuba's expanded Shopify plugin now includes colored contact lenses, hair dye, and makeup alongside existing features. The one-photo eyewear digitization feature lets retailers create virtual glasses from product images, cutting production time so new eyewear collections reach market faster.
The company also improved AI performance, with faster processing and better handling of large product inventories.
How virtual try-ons affect shopping behavior
Virtual try-on technology reduces friction in online shopping by letting customers test products at home before deciding to buy. Opticians like Specsavers already offer this through phone cameras, showing customers how different frames look on their face and even removing existing glasses to display new ones.
AI also helps retailers with personalization. Systems can tailor product recommendations based on customer behavior and preferences. In fashion and accessories, AI-powered authentication tools detect counterfeit goods-particularly useful for resale platforms handling large volumes of items.
Physical retail adapts rather than disappears
The shift to online shopping has reshaped the high street, but virtual try-ons haven't eliminated physical stores. Customers still value tactile experiences and the social element of in-person shopping.
Many customers use virtual try-ons to narrow their choices, then visit a physical store to confirm their decision. Physical retail now serves a different function: a place to validate purchases rather than discover them.
Retailers have used AI since at least 2008, but recent advances make these tools cheaper to operate and more personalized than before. The cost of running virtual try-on technology now undercuts the expense of maintaining physical locations, giving online retailers a clear advantage in scale.
For marketers, this shift means virtual try-on data provides direct insight into which products customers consider, hesitate on, and ultimately purchase-information that feeds into better product recommendations and inventory decisions. Learn more about how AI for Marketing applies these insights to customer experience.
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