Swiss retailer Migros has enhanced its mobile app with a new Discover function, which uses Augmented Reality technology to let shoppers scan more than 5,000 products and access 2,000 Migusto recipes, 80,000 real-time product ratings on the Migipedia platform and nutritional values and further product information – with more content planned for the future.

The new Discover function was developed by Y&R Group Switzerland and its Futurecom interactive division.

Discover uses the smartphone camera to identity unique features on the product packaging and match them with the product database. Y&R claims that approach will in future make QR codes and barcodes for product identification redundant.

As soon as a product has been “discovered”, the product name appears on the smartphone screen together with options and information available in connection with the product, such as suitable recipes or ratings.

Discover has a feedback mechanism that enables the user experience to be constantly optimised.

Discover for iOS and Android, as well as the related back-end infrastructure for image editing and sample identification, was implemented by Futurecom using state-of-the-art technology, including Apple’s new programming language Swift and Microsoft’s new open-source framework ASP.NET Core. In addition to this, essential system components function in the cloud.

Alongside the development and implementation of the Discover function, Y&R Group Switzerland is also responsible for accompanying communication measures aimed at introducing Migros customers to Discover. A film has been produced with this aim in mind, as well as advertisements and various online and social media measures.

Migros is a cooperative society (the Federation of Migros Cooperatives) which is Switzerland’s largest retail company, its largest supermarket chain and its largest employer. It is also one of the 40 largest retailers in the world. It has than two million members.

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