MySize debuts virtual fit avatar tool

Dive Brief:

As online shoppers look for ways to ensure the right fit, MySize, the e-commerce measurement tech startup, has launched its avatar feature, which allows consumers to virtually try on clothes via an avatar that mirrors their body, according to a Thursday press release.
MySizeID uses sensors within shoppers' smartphones to help them visualize how clothes will fit before buying, the company said.
The avatar feature also lets customers see how garments will fit without sending personal photos, per the press release. With the avatar feature and the company's sizing technology, the company touted its gamification of the process, saying consumers will have "an interactive experience that adjusts with the customer."

Dive Insight:

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has driven a spike in e-commerce, MySize is tackling the concurrent rise in returns with the launch of its avatar feature. The company noted in its announcement that vanity sizing and a lack of standardized sizing across brands, among other factors, have made it difficult for shoppers to find the best fit.

As MySize releases its right-size technology, other brands and retailers like Amazon, Snapchat and Asos have also either introduced or acquired their own fit technologies. Returns have become commonplace in e-commerce, with many customers planning for returns during the past holiday season, but they are also costly for retailers and harmful to the environment. MySize noted that the avatar feature could improve customers' relationship with retailers, build loyalty with them and lessen their returns.

"It's one thing for customers to have the peace of mind that they're obtaining their correct clothing size in a brand. It's a new level entirely to be able to virtually try on the product and actually understand how it will look in real life," Ronen Luzon, CEO and founder of MySize, said in a statement. "We are confident that this advanced feature will increase our customers' willingness to engage and shop online, now that they can get what is essentially a full dressing room experience at home."