Photo: Canva
Ready To Try on Clothes Virtually at John Lewis Department Stores?
Retail Customer Experience reports that John Lewis, the U.K.-based department store, “has partnered with tech firm Zyler and rental specialist Hurr to adopt the Zyler AI-powered virtual try-on platform.” This service will “debut on the store’s clothing rental website” and be available for digital signage at physical locations.
While VR integration isn’t entirely new for fashion retailers, 2023 is seeing increased capabilities with the technology. Last June, Google introduced a virtual try-on feature that allows users to view clothing items on a variety of different models with varying body shapes and sizes.
For the first time on any U.K. rental site, according to Fashion Network, users will be able to upload their headshot photo along with their sizing measurements through John Lewis’ website platform. Shortly after, customers will have access to at least 750 items, and with tech help from retailer Hurr, “the generated image will indicate length and whether that particular silhouette will suit the individual’s body shape or skin tone.”
John Lewis’ innovation lead, Danielle Gagola, said that “the ‘Try It On’ function allows its customers to experiment with more styles, colours and lengths in products,” and it will also allow customers to experiment with more outfits than ever before thanks to digital efficiency.
Zyler claims that early trials “have shown that the average customer will scroll through 250 different outfits using the technology.” While this might not fully replace the true tangible experience of how a garment feels or fits, it still allows shoppers to express interest in or try things they might not otherwise consider and to experiment with more creativity.
According to FashionUnited, Zyler explained how “John Lewis Rental is set to provide a seamless and engaging rental experience, where customers can explore different styles and make confident decisions from the comfort of their own homes.”
PYMNTS also shared how many luxury brands are offering similar services to help mitigate returns and increase sales. For example, “Following two consecutive quarters of declining sales, Farfetch has witnessed a turnaround, as evidenced by its first-quarter 2023 earnings report. The online luxury retailer achieved an 8% year-over-year growth in revenue. Buoyed by this positive momentum, Farfetch is now prioritizing the integration of AI into its operations.”
One aspect of fashion that proves challenging virtually is instilling confidence in shoppers about the actual fit of a clothing article or shoe. Unless virtual shopping and AI can accurately translate how a specific piece of clothing fits a shopper, then it might all be in vain.
Discussion Questions
How do you think virtual try-on and AR functions will affect the fashion industry at large? Are there better alternatives that will help convert more shoppers and encourage them to consider more styles?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Gene Detroyer
Professor, International Business, Guizhou University of Finance & Economics and University of Sanya, China.
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
While this is only available for John Lewis’ rental platform, it is a good way of allowing customers to make more informed choices about the products they want to rent. Most of the rental pieces are stylized and fitted so being able to properly visualize what they might look like when being worn is particularly important. It’s also the case that consumers will often rent brands that they may not usually buy so won’t necessarily intimately understand the fit and size specifications of that label. This technology could eventually be expanded to the mainstream apparel that John Lewis sells, although it is mostly useful for online purchasing and stores will continue to play a vital role in allowing people to try things on in person.
There is little doubt that the concept of virtual ‘try-ons’ is improving and expanding. The technology is becoming more accurate, thus the results are more positive and, while overall sales my not increase (that depends on the amount of disposable income), the retailers that deploy the technology most effectively will get a bigger slice of the pie and the customer will be the ultimate winner.
This just plain sounds like fun. I don’t have much of a selection of differnet styles in my wardrobe and am not inclined to make changes. Still, I can see younger generations (anybody younger than Boomers) buying into this service 100%.
The one thing we know is that technology will only get better. Of course, the more accurate it is, the more it will be used, not just for shopping but also for buying.
Just think how many more things I can “try on” virtually versus in the reality of the store?
Nice idea but I just don’t see it being successful. The best alternative is always going to be IRL.
This all sounds great when reading it at the elevator pitch level. But I suspect there will ne caveats. The speed and ease of scrolling through garments and outfits may indeed offer the shopper an expanded horizon of choices. It could also give the shopper choice overload. It could also lead to higher returns when the reality of fit and feel don’t meet expectations. Retailers and customers alike now just have to live through the learning curve.
I agree with Dennis here, as it’s not just about displaying the product, but making sure of the fit as well that makes something like this successful. You still need to make money, and with return rates at 30% or more, we need better fit and more conversions.
Believe it or not, humans didn’t start making shoes differently for left or right feet until the 1800s. But that’s not where we are already with size and fit technology today. Yes, The rise of virtual try-ons in retail is a step forward [pun intended]. But what if there was a way to not only virtually try on clothes but also receive personalized size and fit recommendations? And then magically transform the shopping experience on that site so that every SKU shows your best size for that particular item? By leveraging AI and user-generated content (UGC), we can create a solution that enhances the online shopping experience, reduces returns, and increases conversions. It goes way beyond what’s described here, and it’s already being used with measurable success [sorry, another pun] at multiple online fashion brands today.
The Virtual try-on at John Lewis sounds like fun. I am a devoted brick and mortar shopper but I’d give it a try. It’s cooler than any other virtual option I have seen so far, and it’s better detailed than the different sized mannequins we see in stores today that are just larger versions of the perfect body type. Real life doesn’t happen like that!
Depending on how you count, this is the third, fourth, fifth or whatever wave of virtual try-ons we’ve seen. The United States Air Force pioneered the earliest examples of the technology, at least that I know of, to best outfit jet pilots with flight suits. Those with long enough memories will remember magic mirrors, avatar-based virtual dressing rooms, etc., etc. Those with really long memories may even remember when Levi’s introduced a similar program with Intelifit way back in 2005. So … why hasn’t this 20 to 50 year old “innovation” (again, depending on how you count) transformed the fashion industry yet? My guess is that there is a significant perception gap between how a garment actually fits and how the person wearing it believes it fits. Don’t believe this? Well walk through any well populated public space and you’ll see proof all around you. There’s also the issue of “feel” a somewhat undefinable and almost purely subjective quality that is often the real deal breaker on a clothing purchase. And AR/VR/MR program can show you how well say a wool garment does or doesn’t fit you, but it can’t anticipate whether you will feel “itchy” actually wearing it. Long term these technologies will improve and gain more and more traction. But, just bear in mind this really isn’t a new idea, just a technological refinement on a pretty old one, and it’s hardly caused a revolution in the fashion industry yet.
There still a gap between how a garment looks with AR vs how it feels when you put it on, tho the tech is getting better.
The educated or informed buyer is a better customer. Virtual try-on and AR technologies will expand opportunities for retailers to engage with customers at a level we only dreamed of a few years ago. This type of technology is rolling out quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a large percentage of retailers able to take advantage of this in the next year or two.
Clothes have long been plagued by inconsistencies in sizing, so I’m not sure how helpful trying on planned sizes will be…particularly on a bunch of generic body “types”.
But I certainly welcome the experimentation: there’s nothing to lose (except, perhaps if there are too many efforts people may tire of the concept).
Apparel is easily among the most searched items online. Customers seek second opinions, reviews, and brand comparisons because buying clothes is a process that requires time and prior research to make informed decisions. Despite its ease, online shopping has its drawbacks, as buyers are never certain whether the item they ordered will fit them.
The AI-powered “virtual try-on” tool by John Lewis, like the one offered by Google, can certainly assist customers in seeing how apparel will look on them and help them find exactly what they’re looking for. However, physical stores remain a cornerstone for apparel shopping as customers have the benefit of making the best purchasing decision after putting on each outfit in person. This one single advantage of in-store shopping outperforms eCommerce every time.
John Lewis is a valued commercetools customer and has been a leading innovator in the space for years. The company migrated off of its legacy commerce platform and onto our composable commerce platform, which helped enable John Lewis to create personalized customer experiences across channels. It’s exciting to see them continue innovating. Virtual try-ons will complement John Lewis’ offerings, improving personalization and the overall customer experience.