SACRAMENTO, CA - I know this is far fetched, but just hear me out: If you are like me, a Gen Xer or older, you may have rolled your eyes when you heard about Pokémon Go. In my opinion, I’m not a fan of Pokémon and wanted nothing to do with this latest fad.
But then I saw the numbers.
According to DMR digital stats, since the game launched on July 6th:
- It’s collected 26 million daily users, as of last Friday, July 15th
- Estimated to have made $3.9-$4.9 million its first day
- It’s seen more than 10 million Android downloads since the launch
- More than 10% of Android owners use the app daily, 10.81% as of July 13th
- Daily users spend up to 43 minutes a day on the ap
- As of July 9th, it was making $1.6 million daily from the iOS Apple store
Nintendo’s stock has skyrocketed this month, with many calling the game the company’s “comeback.” And while the game is still struggling with its technology due to its overnight success, people continue to download and play.
Even with all of this in front of me, I still had my doubts. But then I went to lunch, seeing everyone with their phones and at play. Finally my employee, Shane, showed me the game, and I saw how, maybe, this fad could benefit the produce industry.
In the weeks it's been available, Pokémon Go has surpassed some of the leading applications in daily time spent, including Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter.
This game is taking a Millennial brand, like Pokémon, and opening people’s eyes to the application of Augmented Reality (AR). For those of you who don’t remember, read about AR as opposed to Virtual Reality (VR) in our sister publication, The Snack Magazine, by clicking here. To get an idea of how IKEA is using AR, see the video below.
In my opinion, the first retailer to use AR the right way in its produce aisles stands to gain a foothold in the sought-after millennial market.
Imagine this: standing in the produce aisle and waving your phone over a mango display and a recipe appears.
I’m not saying that Pokémon Go will bring millions of AR users into your produce aisle just yet, only to be open to the possibility and the potential it has to help effectively increase the ring at the register.
