Heikki Haldre, founder and chief executive of Fits.me, commented:“The idea of the fitting room remains incredibly popular and the benefits haven’t changed, but – as this survey shows – the reality is that it’s losing its lustre a bit.  Whether it’s because people have higher expectations, less time, changing social norms, or simply that fitting rooms really aren’t as nice as they once were, it’s clear that the traditional fitting room experience needs a makeover.

“It’s certainly true that more and more people are shopping online, where it’s impossible for shoppers physically to try on clothes for fit.  This is forcing retailers to look at new solutions in which the fitting room has been re-imagined for the online world: these include virtual reality, personal style assistants, augmented reality, avatars and Fits.me’s own robotic mannequins that take on the exact shape and size of the shopper,” he continued.

“Virtual fitting rooms benefit both shoppers and retailers.  Customers are reassured that the clothes they’re looking at online will fit them in the real world, so they are happier to buy; shoppers feel less likely to have to return garments later.  The uncertainty they experience without the routine presence of virtual fitting rooms is plain to see in the survey results.  For retailers, the immediate result is improved ‘conversion rates’, with the additional advantage that fewer garments are returned later by disgruntled shoppers because they don’t fit,” he advised.

Fits.me