Unfortunately, the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak is changing the way people do shopping globally. Offline fitting rooms are taped off to avoid the interaction. That has given way to a new, more socially distant variant of doing shopping - “trying on” clothing and shoes, cosmetics and sunglasses, even a new haircut or eyebrow shape virtually. According to a recent survey, 60% of global customers surveyed have experienced virtual reality while shopping. Not only can they see themselves virtually dressed up in any clothes or combination of clothes, but companies can drive more revenue by increasing average basket size. According to another survey, the global virtual fitting room market is expected to reach over 10.5 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. The increasing adoption of solutions powered with AR and AI has drastically boosted the virtual fitting room market. With that in mind, a lot of companies have opted for virtual dressing room solutions with a three-dimensional (3D) model body avatar. Not only does it help them provide a more engaging experience to the customers, but they also level up in the market. Sounds impressive, right? Let’s dive into the details below!
Virtual dressing room: What exactly is it?
The virtual dressing room is a bespoke tech solution running on mobile devices and allowing online users to virtually try-on a variety of clothing items, shoes, and other accessories with a three-dimensional model. Just taking the body avatar with their smartphone instead of going to the offline store’s changing room - is an excellent tech solution. It utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to simulate three-dimensional (3D) models in real-time. With three-dimensional (3D) model virtual dressing room solutions, your company or organization can represent the following features of any person such as gender and size, fit and shape. Not only does it help you reduce the shopping cart abandonment rates, but the cost of returns for online retailers will also decrease.
Virtual fitting technology: How does it work?
Below we have provided some explanation of how the virtual fitting technology works. This information will clarify the virtual dressing room technology logic powered with a deep learning model. Let’s keep on reading!-A user takes just a few pictures from a smartphone to create their own virtual body with a simple click.-Based on the images taken from your device, a system uses a model of the deep learning technology calculating a comprehensive list of body measurements. Only by utilizing deep learning models can you get the most accurate measurements of your body.-A three-dimensional model (3D) of t-shirt (for instance) is placed according to the detected body measurements. This helps to display the orientation to a user in a natural way.-A three-dimensional (3D) T-shirt model presents textures and lighting in a natural way.
Virtual Dressing Rooms: what are the top solutions and applications?
Delivering a virtual dressing room experience, that is very different from the traditional brick-and-mortar ones, to the consumers is becoming widely used among businesses and consumers as well. Let’s find out what kind of virtual dressing room solutions a lot of brands have already invested in:
Footwear and Fashion: thanks to a virtual dressing room solution, users can put on a piece of clothes and footwear in different sizes to see if it fits them or if it suits them in 360 view. For example, Gap has developed an app with a try before buy concept. Once users have accessed the app from any device powered by the augmented reality platform Tango, they can move their self-made three-dimensional (3D) model avatar around and change directions and angles to see how you look in new clothes.
Accessories: thanks to a virtual fitting room solution with a three-dimensional (3D) model avatar, users can try on a diversity of accessories from hats and watches to earrings. For example, the brand of sunglasses Ray-Ban has derived benefits from this solution by offering virtual models by just using the webcam on your computer. This solution is powered by the deep learning algorithm that calculates and detects facial landmarks.
Cosmetics: thanks to AR and AI technologies, makeup giants allow customers to virtually try on products to their content instead of schlepping to a store. Only by uploading facial shots (selfies) can users apply different hues of makeup such as eye shadows, bronzers, or blush to their unique features in a virtual way. The most well-known brand which applied this virtual model is Sephora.
Furniture and home décor: with AR and AI technologies combined, users can see an accurate 3D model of the furniture in the environment and visualize how a piece of furniture would look in their apartments.
What are the benefits of the virtual fitting room solution for your business
Let’s discover some essential benefits of the virtual dressing rooms digitising clothes to the form of 3D models the companies can derive from:
Encourage customers to try on many products with virtual fitting rooms
Having a diversity of clothes items in your store, you can deliver a great experience with a virtual dressing room solution. Not only can customers look through all your collections - old and new ones, but they also have an ample opportunity to match different clothing items with accessories or shoes and choose the best one. Moreover, they are also likely to buy more than one product, add more clothes/items to their wishlists and come back day-after-day to make a purchase. This is definitely a good sign, isn't it?
Generate buzz about your brand with virtual fitting room application
If your brand is going to meet with success, it is vital to get people talking about it. Building anticipation around your brand with a three-dimensional (3D) model virtual fitting room application leads up to the big day. This is an extremely effective way for your company to generate sales and stand out from your industry peers. Just begin with a sophisticated virtual fitting room solution that makes the brand or company fascinating differentiates you from competitors.
Build an emotional connection fueled with augmented reality and artificial intelligence
It’s no secret that an emotional connection with potential customers makes all the difference when they are deciding to buy. If they have been shopping on other platforms without this virtual model, they will be thrilled to find it. Only by getting exceptional and game-like experience will they fall in love with your brand and make more purchases. The better your brand will connect with the consumers' emotions, the faster your company will drive growth and revenue.
Promote your brand and engage with a diverse audience
A lot of users opt for social media to search for new products, read reviews and buy products in-app. With a virtual fitting room solution, consumers can share their dressed avatars on social media and tap you. This will influence potential consumers to learn more about your brand, visit your site or social media page and eventually buy. Currently, it’s easier than ever for your brand to engage with consumers to take advantage of social shopping and tap into social media traffic with success.
Bottom line: Is your business ready to gain traction with a virtual fitting room solution powered with augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI)?
Delivering a smooth shopping experience is crucial to converting a customer: brands that prioritize customer experience tend to enjoy higher revenue and greater profitability. While a try-on virtual dressing room powered with artificial intelligence and augmented reality sounds like an impressive experience, slow-to-load execution can cost you a potential customer. Having that in mind, you should focus on the virtual fitting rooms paired with the ability to try before you buy concept as the latest way for your brand or company to bring an exceptional end-to-end customer experience and increase return on investment. Drop us a line to learn more details on how to create a virtual dressing room solution for your business.