GET DAILY REPORT FREE
AI-powered virtual fitting rooms are being developed by retailers to help shoppers find better-fitting clothes and reduce the billions of dollars lost through returns, Bloomberg reports.
Zalando uses detailed body measurements and 3D scans of clothing to predict fit, while Zara uses generative AI to show shoppers how different outfits might look on an avatar resembling them.
However, both approaches have limitations. Zalando’s avatars can make shoppers uncomfortable, and research suggests that virtual representations of the body can affect shoppers’ confidence and purchasing behavior. Zara’s system was more engaging and visually appealing in the writer’s experience, but each outfit took about two minutes to load and users were limited to five looks per day.
More importantly, virtual try-ons cannot fully reproduce how clothing feels on the body. Even when clothing is the correct size, it may still feel too tight or uncomfortable. Zalando says its virtual fitting room has resulted in significantly fewer returns, although it has not provided exact figures.
Ultimately, virtual fitting technology is still in its early stages. Zalando is working toward combining its precise approach to measuring fit with the more inspirational, AI-generated approach used by Zara.
