Shopping may fun. Changing rooms not so much. The small cubicles can be the equivalent of the gates of hell, especially for female shoppers. The fluorescent lights always find a way to highlight our weak spots and the top-to-bottom mirrors tell us truths we do not want to hear. Some have argued that such is our fear of the fitting room that it has become a significant driver of the online shopping boom.
Apart from this fear, there is the unpleasantness of lugging a bunch of clothes all the way to a fitting room only to find out that we've picked the wrong sizes and need to shout out to a shop assistant whilst standing naked behind the curtain. Oh and what about the staff who has to sort out all the mess left behind in changing rooms?
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| Hointer © |
All of these issues have left some innovative minds thinking and the results have been varied - from Hontier where robotic pickers deliver the clothes you have selected to an allocated changing room to robotic mannequins acting as virtual shop assistants.
Hointer is a concept store set up in Seattle with minimalist retail space. As small number of apparel items hang on simple rails coming down form the ceiling allowing customers to have a good look at the clothes.
They pass by scanning QR codes of the clothes they would like to try which are automatically sent to an allocated changing room by robots. Requesting a change of size can also be done via your phone and once you are done you can either drop the clothes in chute or take them to an automated checkout.
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| Me-ality © |
Finding the right size is another issue, as sizes often very from shop to shop, brand to brand. Fear not, The Me-ality booth works by scanning your whole body whilst fully clothed and recommending clothes that are most likely to fit you. The Canadian invention is already available across US malls and works with nearly 200 different brands.
If you just can't be bothered getting into a changing room and are looking for a more private experience, Fits.me is for you. This virtual fitting room service allows shoppers to see how a garment fits their particular type of body shape.
Customers enter a set of their measurements on the website or app after which robot mannequins made up of panels that simulate muscles morph into that shape and are photographed at speed. Shoppers can then click through until they find the perfect fit.
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| Fits.me © |
Such technological innovations are expanding rapidly and until a way can be found to print 3D clothes that are a perfect match for our bodies they will provide shoppers with a pretty good alternative to the daunting fitting room.