As online shopping continues to dominate the retail landscape, the demand for personalized and interactive shopping solutions has never been higher. The digital avatar, a virtual representation of a customer’s body dimensions, is becoming a revolutionary tool for enhancing online shopping experiences. In this blog post, we explore how digital avatars are transforming the way customers shop and improve their overall experience.
Today's shoppers crave personalized experiences that are tailored to their unique preferences and styles.
According to a 2018 study by Accenture, “91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations based on their individual preferences.”
Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar stores where customers can try on clothes, online shoppers often struggle with sizing and fit issues.
Consumer research conducted by TrueToForm among participants aged 18-32 further emphasizes this point, with 90% of those interviewed reporting issues with sizing and fit when shopping online.
Digital avatars can help alleviate these challenges by providing a personalized representation of the shopper's body shape and size, that can then be used to understand online sizing. For example, TrueToForm’s new fit prediction software enables customers to create a virtual avatar that accurately reflects their physique, by taking either a survey or body scan. This allows customers to virtually try on clothes and see how different styles and sizes will look on their unique body dimensions, reducing uncertainty and increasing the likelihood of a perfect fit.
Seeing is believing, and digital avatars provide a visual representation that static images and size charts cannot match. This technology is already being embraced in the pre-production phase by apparel designers and design teams, who have been increasingly leveraging fabric simulation technology to drape garments on digital avatars to check the fit and design of samples.
The opportunity grows even larger at the point of sale. Customers can view garments from various angles, assess how fabrics drape, and experiment with different outfits. The immersive experience of using digital avatars helps shoppers make more informed purchasing decisions and increases their confidence in their choices. Retailers that offer digital avatar technology can provide a more engaging and interactive shopping experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction and reduced return rates.
TrueToForm's research highlights that participants prefer to use a size recommendation tool that allows them to see clothing on their personal avatars. Consumers state that visualizing how clothes fit and look on a digital representation of oneself would serve to boost their engagement and confidence in sizing.
In a head-to-head study, we found that 77% of participants preferred TrueToForm’s avatar-based fitting technology over sizing tools that offer a single best size recommendation. The three most frequently cited reasons were:
45% of participants who preferred TrueToForm highlighted the importance of visualization and visual aids in enhancing their online shopping experience. Specifically, participants pointed out that interacting with digital avatars is more engaging because it is "more visually pleasing and fun." The visual representation provided by avatars makes it easier for shoppers to understand a product's sizing as it relates to their own body, as it "helps with imagining how the size will fit." This visual aid simplifies the mental math of interpreting a brand’s size chart and relating it to their own body dimensions, making the shopping process less overwhelming. Additionally, participants also indicated that digital avatars offer a well-organized interface that relates more directly to the shopper’s own body dimensions, improving the overall shopping experience by making it more personalized and user-friendly.
One-third of participants cited "accuracy" as a key reason for preferring TrueToForm's digital avatar-based platform over other survey-based recommendation tools. Their confidence stems from several factors: participants appreciated that TrueToForm's solution considered their unique body dimensions rather than just their sizes at different brands. They valued that TrueToForm's recommendations were based on each brand's specific sizing data instead of a relative estimation based on their best size across multiple brands, which they often found unreliable. Additionally, some customers did not shop at the brands used for relative sizing and therefore lacked confidence in those inputs. TrueToForm's personalized approach, which takes into account specific brand data, fostered a higher level of trust among customers by enhancing the accuracy and reliability of size recommendations.
About 25% of participants who prefer TrueToForm over the other sizing tool emphasized the importance of receiving an informed recommendation when using sizing tools. Customers felt that TrueToForm excels in providing a detailed fit assessment by interpreting how a product’s sizing relates to their unique body dimensions.
According to one study participant, avatar-based sizing tools like TrueToForm provide "more in-depth information on how my body and the products align".
Participants also mentioned the additional features, such as the ability to view all sizes while considering customer preferences, understanding where hemlines will fall, and how garments fit at key landmarks, as helpful in reducing the friction of online shopping. This comprehensive and personalized approach significantly enhances their confidence in making sizing decisions.
Digital avatars cater to a wide range of body types, sizes, and ethnicities, promoting inclusivity and diversity in the apparel industry. Shoppers who may feel underrepresented in traditional marketing and advertising can see themselves reflected in the digital avatars. This inclusivity helps brands connect with a broader audience and demonstrates a commitment to catering to all customers, regardless of their shape, size, or background.
"I have a hard time with sizing for pants specifically, because I have wider hips and a smaller waist," explains a study participant.
TrueToForm’s study on online shopping attitudes and behaviors found that 50% of participants felt they had an irregular body shape or had trouble finding clothes for specific areas of their body. These participants expressed concerns about the inclusivity issues of online shopping, showing the lowest confidence that new clothing they buy online will fit. Notably, participants often associated personal confidence with a good fit and attractive style, and felt frustrated when they couldn’t determine how something would fit. As positive shopping experiences become increasingly valued, solutions like digital avatars are urgently needed to take care of all customers, not just standard body shapes.
By using digital avatars, these customers can create representations that reflect their unique body types, helping them find clothes that fit well and look good. This approach not only enhances the shopping experience but also fosters a sense of inclusivity and acceptance among all shoppers.
The growing need for digital avatars in apparel shopping is evident from the increasing demand for personalized, engaging, and inclusive shopping experiences. TrueToForm's technology addresses key pain points related to sizing and fit, enhances customer engagement through immersive visualization, and promotes diversity and inclusivity. As online shopping continues to evolve, digital avatars will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the fashion industry.
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