Pokémon Go Is Inspiring Small Retailers. So Has Augmented Reality Gone Mainstream?

Pokémon Go, the mobile game that has millions of people running from location to location, isn’t just a tech-bubble fascination on the part of the Twitterati—it’s boosting local businesses in the American heartland. Indeed, augmented reality, or AR, appears to be getting its close-up on Main Street.  “This weekend, we were just people-watching and noticed everybody staring at their phones,” said John Merritt, manager of CitySen Lounge, an eatery and bar in the CityFlats Hotel in Grand Rapids, Mich. “So, we put the sign up around 3 p.m. on Saturday.” Smart move, evidently. That sign has driven considerable patronage to the lounge, Merritt said, underscoring how popular Pokémon Go has become in such a short time. Read more at Adweek.