As of: March 23, 2024, 7:06 a.m
By: Anna-Lena Kiegerl
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A new tool could help with the large number of online returns.
A “virtual wardrobe” makes it possible to try things on online.
Bremen – The convenience of online shopping is attracting more and more people.
You can easily order all kinds of goods from home and then have them delivered directly to your door.
The range ranges from clothing to books to food.
However, returning goods is also a widespread phenomenon.
Especially in the fashion sector, where return rates are particularly high.
This is not only a problem due to the negative environmental impact, but also causes significant costs for companies.
Virtually trying on clothes: New tool could significantly reduce returns
A newly developed tool from Hof University could now offer the solution to this problem.
The online demonstrator makes it possible to try on the goods directly on the Internet, so that customers can make a more precise selection in terms of fit, size and personal preferences before ordering.
A process very close to trying things on in a store fitting room.
The function of the new fitting tool uses both the user's current camera image and images of the items of clothing in various poses.
“The only thing that cannot be represented here is the tactile experience of the material or the feeling of wearing it,” explains project manager Christian Groth from the Institute for Information Systems at Hof University.
Nevertheless, it is possible to virtually adapt the selected item of clothing to the customer's body in a photorealistic and true-to-size representation, says Groth.
More precise trying on is possible: “You can see whether the sleeves are too long, for example.”
The problem with current computer models is that the items of clothing always fit perfectly.
In reality there would be disappointment if it didn't fit.
However, with the tool from Hof, trying things on is more precise: “You can see whether the sleeves are too long, for example,” explains the project manager.
For an accurate adjustment, users only need to enter their overall body size; all other measurements are calculated by the tool.
Return rates are particularly high when it comes to fashion.
© Imago/Michael Gstettenbauer
With the introduction of this tool, which is intended to be made available as open source software, both consumers and merchants could benefit significantly.
This is intended to support small and medium-sized companies in particular.
Reducing the return rate is of great importance in online retail, as returns are associated with both high costs for companies and significant effort for consumers.
The latter are increasingly faced with fees for returning goods, as many retailers now pass on partial costs to customers.
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Fashion in particular causes numerous returns: 26-50 percent are sent back
According to a study by EHI published in December, retailers have to spend an average of between five and ten euros for each returned item.
The volume of returns is particularly significant in the fashion sector, with return rates ranging between 26 and 50 percent, according to the retail research institute.
Therefore, a virtual try-on online could avoid numerous returns.
But it's not just returns that cause problems for online retailers.
Because there are fake shops that pose as well-known shopping websites and cause problems.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.