Each month, our Consumer Tech Briefing series discusses recent developments in the world of technology. This month, we focus on digital tools that have been launched recently to provide consumers with a richer, more informed shopping experience both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.

Very.co.uk Introduces New Size-and-Fit Feature for Its Fashion Shoppers

UK online retailer Very has introduced a new feature into its platform that allows shoppers to view how clothing products fit on real-life female models who are sizes 8, 14 or 18 (UK sizes). The feature is currently available on the Very.co.uk website for over 80 Nike and Adidas products. The retailer plans to roll the size-and-fit feature out to its mobile app before the end of 2020 and is also exploring scaling the offering across other fashion and sportswear brands.

Very said that the new feature will help to promote size diversity and improve the customer experience across its site. The retailer also hopes that it will cut down the need for shoppers to order items in multiple sizes and return those that do not fit, thereby reducing the environmental and commercial impact of returns.

This would address a key challenge that is emerging in e-commerce, particularly in the apparel sector: As more sales move online, retailers are seeing an increasing number of returns from shoppers, which is piling on costs related to reverse logistics and unsellable merchandise. Some 20% of items bought online are returned to retailers, which is more than twice the rate of returns for items bought in store, according to data from eMarketer. Return rates vary by product type but are the highest for apparel and accessories—accounting for as much as 75% of all returns in January following the holiday season, according to technology provider Optoro.

Market research company Statista estimates that return delivery costs in the US totaled approximately $381 billion in 2018 and will climb to $500 billion in 2020. Furthermore, 41% of US shoppers buy variations of products (such as the same item of clothing in different sizes) with the intention of returning the items that do not fit or meet expectations, according to delivery-tracking technology provider Narvar.

Tools that help shoppers to visualize products better before making a purchase—such as Very’s new size-and-fit feature—should therefore cut down on the number of items that customers order and thus reduce the number and cost of returns to retailers.

[caption id="attachment_105353" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Very.co.uk’s feature displays clothing on models sized 8, 14 and 18
Source: The Very Group[/caption]  

Mastercard and DVF Partner To Introduce DVF InCharge Platform

On March 2, Mastercard and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg announced their partnership, through which they will introduce the DVF InCharge platform to deliver insights to store associates and provide an immersive shopping journey to DVF customers at the brand’s flagship store in New York, US.

The integration of Mastercard retail technology into the physical shopping journey will enable visitors to the DVF flagship to scan QR codes to access more information about an item of clothing, including recommended styling methods and the story behind its print and design. Store associates will also be given visibility of the store’s overall performance—measured against predefined, commercial key performance indicators—as well as access to key insights that will empower them to serve customers better, such as by providing product recommendations based on time of day, day of week, product demand and other variables on which they have information.

eBay Unveils Computer-Vision Tool To Enhance Product Image Quality

eBay has introduced Image Cleanup, a computer-vision tool that allows sellers on the e-commerce platform to clean product images by replacing the background of a photograph with a white background. The tool also adjusts lighting settings to make images more presentable. On its website, eBay states that product “listings with a clean white background have the potential to convert better and sell faster,” adding that the tool will “make sellers’ listing photos easier on the eyes.”

eBay has many consumer-to-consumer and small business sellers who may not have access to a professional photographer or photo-editing software, which limits the number of product images that are uploaded to accompany listings, according to the e-commerce marketplace. Images with clutter in the background can create noise for shoppers, potentially impacting results when visitors to the site use image search to look for items, eBay noted.

The image-cleanup concept was developed during eBay’s annual company-wide competition, called Hack Week, which challenges its technologists to create tools that enhance the e-commerce experience. This feature is now available on Android and iOS devices in Australia, Germany, the UK and US, and will be made available to other regions over the next month.

[caption id="attachment_105354" align="aligncenter" width="600"] eBay’s Image Cleanup feature makes product photographs more presentable and easier on the eye
Source: eBay[/caption]

Burberry Partners with Google for an AR-Enabled Shopping Experience

Burberry has launched a new AR tool that helps customers to visualize the products that they search for on Google prior to making a purchase. For example, when a shopper searches for “TB bag” on Google using their smartphone, results for the UK or US Burberry website are accompanied by a “View in 3D” button. Clicking on this button accesses the smartphone’s camera to generate a 3D image of the product overlaid onto the customer’s real-life setting. Shoppers can use this to see Burberry products next to outfits they already own to better assess if a product would meet their requirements/expectations before buying. This feature also encourages consumers to engage with the brand as it simulates an in-store discovery experience, according to Burberry.

The luxury brand said that as the inspiration phase of the shopping journey is becoming increasingly important for its customers, Burberry is constantly innovating and integrating new technologies to deliver personalized customer experiences. The AR tool is currently available for searches of Burberry’s black TB Bag and check Arthur sneakers in the UK and US. The company plans to expand the tool globally to a range of products.

[caption id="attachment_105355" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Burberry’s AR function displays virtual renderings of its products overlaid onto a user’s environment through their smartphone
Source: Burberry[/caption]