The virtual fitting room solutions company provides insight into preferred online shopping habits as retailers and fashion brands look to appeal to, and enhance the experience of, virtual shoppers
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2021 — Perfitly, a virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) and AI-powered virtual fitting room solution that is being integrated into the e-commerce platforms of the nation’s leading retailers, today announced the results from its 2021 Virtual Shopping Habits Report. The study examines shoppers’ attitudes, behaviors and expectations from online shopping, and the types of services that would increase the effectiveness of the digital channel and ease shopper pain points going into the holiday shopping season.
Conducted by Perfitly, the study surveyed more than 1,200 respondents, representative of consumers in all main geographical areas of the U.S. Key findings show the pervasiveness of online clothes shopping, shaped by the pandemic; the ongoing struggle by the vast majority of online shoppers to find the right, well-fitting purchase; and the high degree of willingness to use ecommerce tools, such as virtual fitting rooms, to select the right garment and reduce returns. The following is a breakdown of top-level data points:
Online Shopping Behavior
Survey data shows that the majority of shoppers purchase clothing online, motivated by both the ability to save time and the wide selection of options to choose from.
- More than 53% of respondents purchase at least 40% or more of their clothing online.
- The majority of respondents have recently purchased an article of clothing online, with 34% making online purchases within the past 2 weeks and a further 25% within the past month. Only 11% reported that they have not purchased clothes online at all in 2021.
Online Shopping Hesitations and Returns
The largest concern shoppers have with e-commerce is the inability to try on clothing before purchasing. Additionally, the biggest single reason shoppers return garments purchased online is due to receiving an improper fit.
- 48% say the inability to try clothes on is their biggest concern with online shopping; 3x more than any other cited reason.
- 73% of online clothes purchases are returned because of the inability to try it on; 7x more than any other cited reason.
Outlook on Virtual Fitting Rooms
While the majority of shoppers have not used e-commerce tools to help the selection process, they find the ability to choose a correctly sized garment as the most appealing aspect of virtual fitting rooms. More than half of the respondents have used traditional size charts with measurements, while others have used techniques such as sizing questionnaires and AR filters, showing a desire for online fitting solutions.
- 44% say the ability to find the correct sized garment is why they’d use a virtual fitting room; 3x more than any other cited reason.
- While only 7% of respondents have used a virtual fitting room, 76% say they would be more inclined to use virtual fitting room technology if it helps their selection experience and to avoid returns.
- More than half of respondents prefer to see a representation of themselves in virtual avatars.
Holiday Shopping Plans
With holiday shopping on the horizon, most shoppers are likely to shop for garments online, aiming to complete their holiday purchases by mid-December.
- 63% are likely or very likely to purchase clothes online this holiday season.
- 22% aim to complete holiday shopping by late November, and only 4% have already completed holiday shopping at the time of the survey.
- 21% plan to shop in early December, with 16% holding off until mid-late December.
“Retailers are currently looking at a unique opportunity to increase their online presence and harness the demand for effective and engaging online shopping experiences that provide customers with the ability, and peace of mind, to purchase garments that will fit correctly and match their style expectations,” said Kash Vyas, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of Perfitly. “Looking ahead, data suggests there’s a growing appetite for everyday shoppers to find better ways to visualize garments to take online shopping to the next level, one that mimics the in-person shopping experience along with the many conveniences of shopping online.”
To learn more, please visit www.perfitly.com.
About Perfitly:
Perfitly is a virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) and AI powered virtual fitting room solution that is being integrated into the e-commerce platforms of the nation’s leading retailers. Perfitly’s cutting-edge size recommendation and visualization platform serves fashion brands and retailers to help increase sales and conversion and reduce returns, while enhancing sustainability. Perfitly enables shoppers to try on clothes, find their perfect fit and look, and purchase with confidence – all from the comfort of their homes. To learn more, please visit: www.perfitly.com.
Media Contact:
North 6th Agency for Perfitly / Kevin Pryor
[email protected]