You can skip the fitting room at Walmart.
Instead of trying on clothing, you can turn to a high-tech tool on the retailer’s website and app to do the heavy lifting.
The new tool, Choose My Model, allows a shopper to pick a person who resembles her height, shape and skin tone. The feature, powered by computer vision and artificial intelligence, shows how a clothing item would flow and fit on a similar body.
Choose My Model is the first implementation of Zeekit, a start-up that Walmart acquired in May for an undisclosed amount. Walmart, the country’s largest grocer by revenue, has made a bold push into fashion by launching new private labels, hiring fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and adding more national brands to its website. The technology takes that a step further by making it easier for shoppers to imagine how clothing would look without stepping into a store.
“Everything comes back to providing the customer with the confidence to make that purchase,” said Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private brands for Walmart U.S. “We want to have a best in class shopping experience online and we feel like this is shopping of the future and we wanted to lead the way.”
She said the new tool makes customers more likely to click the “buy” button, especially on items with a slightly higher price point or an unfamiliar brand. It could come with another benefit for Walmart, too, she said: a lower rate of returns.
Prior to the acquisition, major brands and retailers including Macy’s, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger and Levi used Zeekit’s technology.
Walmart launches A.I.-powered virtual clothing try-on technology for online shoppers https://t.co/D3ZIB5bJqZ by @sarahintampa
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) March 2, 2022
The next phase of the technology rollout will be a virtual try-on feature, which will allow customers to upload their own photos to see how clothing fits and even share that photo with friends to get their thoughts.
With the Choose My Model tool, she said she could have narrowed to two pairs to try during a store visit — or skipped the trip altogether.
Photo | iStock
