Gone are the days when buying clothes was a pain-taking task for many. Hopping different malls, flipping through clothes, trying them on and replacing them as they don’t fit are overall exhausting experience. Realising this, retailers are elevating the shopping experience and are introducing new tricks to attract maximum footfall.
From digital and 3D or virtual trial rooms to Internet of Things (IoT) mirrors, 2D virtual dressing room, 3D mirror and bespoke studios, retailers are leaving no stone unturned to charm the shoppers. Retailers and brands such as Jealous 21, Chennai Silks, Salam Silks, Shopper Stop, Lifestyle International and many more are in a process of installing different tricks and helping people narrowing down their choices. The reason can be as clothes shopping is going towards e-tailers, retail chains are enticing customers by upgrading their experience and revamping their stores. Shoppers can also find digital assistance through pagers in the trial room in the new format stores that will alert customer service executives to help with alternate sizes.
Lifestyle International recently launched an app Lifestyle Buddy, currently being piloted in Chennai and Pune, which allows shoppers scan QR codes at stores and place an order online or get customised offers and fashion or beauty recommendations.
Similarly, Dubai-based retailer Splash, which is planning to revamp stores, also has an inventory-linked model that helps overcome out-of-stock situations. Stores are not only utilising tech to make the experience better, but also have non-shopping experiences in their kitty. Although digital trial rooms are not all that new and some Indian retail firms too use them. The chances of a customer making a purchase once they try on a garment is much higher than when they do. The experience at Jealous 21 bears out the belief that those who try on clothes are more likely to buy than those who do not, claims the retailer.
These products have many advantages, claim their websites. They work by a swipe of the hand, the customer can browse several designs in seconds, and the trial images are shareable on social media. For retailers, it means greater visibility for their merchandise, better customer engagement, saves space as not all the clothes have to be stocked but can be ordered, prevents their wear and tear, saves time for staff who have to tidy up after the shoppers, and on the other hand, the memory mirrors generate much curiosity and word of mouth. No dressing room scandals, either.
These memory mirrors capture valuable data on the customer and his/her preferences. Abroad, some of the virtual fitting rooms are MemoryMirror, from MemoMi, which lets customers compare garments and see 360-degree views. US-based retailer Neiman Marcus uses it to help customers try on clothes, eyewear and make-up. Ralph Lauren is using a similar product by Oak Labs that, among other things, allows the customer to change the lights to assess how a garment would look in each setting.
Last year, fashion retailer Mango collaborated with Vodafone and rolled out digital fitting rooms at the label’s top stores worldwide. The fitting room is designed around an IoT mirror, developed by Vodafone in collaboration with Madrid-based IT company JogoTech. It allows the shopper to scan the clothes tags in the fitting room and then contact shop floor staff directly from the mirror, through a digital watch, to request different sizes or colours. The mirror also suggests additional clothes to complement the original choice.
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