Nextech AR Solutions Corp. is making its eCommerce-focused augmented reality (AR) offering available as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution in early October, bringing the burgeoning technology to a wider range of merchants.

The Nextech AR SaaS offering “brings significantly greater scale at a less expensive price point, to a product experiencing fast-growing demand,” the Vancouver-based company said in its announcement on Wednesday (Sept. 8).

Nextech said its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technology will allow the company to offer the AR technology to eCommerce site owners at an affordable price, noting that there are about 12 million eCommerce sites around the world.

More than 100 million shoppers use AR online and in stores to try items before they buy; by 2025, nearly 75% of the global population, and almost all smartphone users, will be frequent AR users, based on a recent Snap Inc. survey cited by Nextech.

“With the rise in WebAR for eCommerce, the demand to scale and create high-quality 3D content continues to accelerate and is expected to be standard in eCommerce shopping in 2022 and beyond,” said Nextech CEO Evan Gappelberg in the company announcement.

“With our AI-driven 3D content creation capabilities, and now our low-cost monthly fee-based SaaS platform, we are addressing this growing market demand and unblocking the 3D content creation bottleneck head-on,” he added.

Nextech AR Solutions Corp. announced on Tuesday (Aug. 31) that it has expanded its partnership with department store chain Kohl’s to include more AR capabilities within the eCommerce segment of the business.

Kohl’s and Nextech said they will “significantly” scale the technology to create “thousands of new 3-D models that will enhance the augmented reality experience for Kohl’s customers.”

Nextech’s 3D WebAR for eCommerce solution allows Kohl's customers to “review products dynamically within any desired backdrop,” according to the joint announcement.