Virtual Dressing Room - the fight against returns

Meepl brings the changing room to the smartphone. Using just two mobile phone photos showing the user once from the front and once from the side, the body scan app of the Swiss start-up creates an individual 3-D body model in seconds, which also works with AR. One of the company's aims is to combat the large number of returns.

Will the S fit or would it be better to order M? People who shop online know the problem: fit is always a big unknown. 21% of consumers refrain from buying clothes online because they don't know how the items fit - in terms of size, suitability or appearance. But not only that: this problem also leads to unsustainable shopping behaviour in the form of ordering multiple sizes with the intention of returning one or more items. "The response rates are crazy"says René Stampfl, VP EMEA. "Zalando faces returns of up to 50 per cent. This has a big impact on the environment: two per cent of the carbon footprint is textiles."

The solution against returns

The large numbers often come because buyers had the wrong information or ideas when they ordered. Swiss start-up Meepl believes it has patented a solution to this problem: a cocktail of AI, computer vision and data science.

Zurich-based Meepl is a brand of Fision Technologies, a company with roots in visual computing. The start-up offers a so-called virtual changing room that makes it easier for users to buy suitable clothes.

Using just two photos - one from the front and one from the side - the AI-driven app calculates the user's body mass, creates the perfect avatar and gives corresponding size recommendations. The next step is the Virtual Dressing Room, where users can dress their Mini-Me in different colours, styles and sizes - and watch the fashion show in real time on the screen or in augmented reality.

Ferdinand Metzler, CEO of meepl, said: "Retailers are increasingly focused on developing and improving the online shopping experience for customers. Technology has evolved exponentially in recent years and the possibilities are exciting for both retailers and shoppers."

Source: Meepl / uktech / idgconnect