Fits.me, the online virtual fitting room provider, released research that reveals 36 per cent of shoppers use in-store fitting rooms less than they did just three years ago. Many of these consumers appear to be interested in finding an online alternative to trying on clothes in-store, with over half (52%) respondents never or only sometimes trying on clothes in-store because they shop for clothes online.
A third of consumers (36%) reported using in-store fitting rooms less and less, a response particularly common among younger shoppers: almost half (45%) of 18-24 year olds surveyed reporting that they don't use physical fitting rooms as much as they did 3 years ago.
What's wrong with the fitting room?
Consumers reported that the main reasons for not using in-store fitting rooms are because they are too small (37%) and because of the queues (32%). Almost one in five respondents (18%) said they dislike leaving their cubicle in order to see themselves in a public, full-length mirror. The research also found age group-specific criticisms of in-store fitting rooms; for example, the primary complaint of half of 18-24 year olds (51%) is the queues, while the main complaint of 45-54 year olds was the size of the fitting rooms (43%).
The research also illustrates that fitting room issues vary according to where people live. For example, lighting crops up as an issue in the South East, with 16 per cent of consumers citing fitting rooms are 'too dark'. In the North East more than a quarter (27%) of respondents said that they didn't visit physical fitting rooms because they feel 'under suspicion' when they do. One in five (20%) of those surveyed in the East of England claimed the mess was their main issue, and 15 per cent of people in Yorkshire/Humberside and the South West reported that they were simply 'embarrassed to get undressed' in-store. In fact, when given the choice, 64 per cent of consumers surveyed would prefer to try on clothes at home than in-store.
Getting the right fit online
The alternative for many consumers has become shopping online. However, buying clothes online that fit correctly can also bring its own set of problems. 12 per cent of consumers report they 'never buy online because of sizing concerns'and a further 61 per cent said that they always or sometimes hesitate before making a purchase online due to sizing concerns. For around one in five (19%) consumers over 55 years old, worries over sizing information online mean they never purchase clothes online.
The re-imagined fitting room
Heikki Haldre, founder and chief executive of Fits.me, commented:"The idea of the fitting room remains incredibly popular and the benefits haven't changed, but – as this survey shows – the reality is that it's losing its lustre a bit. Whether it's because people have higher expectations, less time, changing social norms, or simply that fitting rooms really aren't as nice as they once were, it's clear that the traditional fitting room experience needs a makeover.
"It's certainly true that more and more people are shopping online, where it's impossible for shoppers physically to try on clothes for fit. This is forcing retailers to look at new solutions in which the fitting room has been re-imagined for the online world: these include virtual reality, personal style assistants, augmented reality, avatars and Fits.me's own robotic mannequins that take on the exact shape and size of the shopper," he continued.
"Virtual fitting rooms benefit both shoppers and retailers. Customers are reassured that the clothes they're looking at online will fit them in the real world, so they are happier to buy; shoppers feel less likely to have to return garments later. The uncertainty they experience without the routine presence of virtual fitting rooms is plain to see in the survey results. For retailers, the immediate result is improved 'conversion rates', with the additional advantage that fewer garments are returned later by disgruntled shoppers because they don't fit," he advised.
