Queues for tiny fitting rooms are driving clothes shoppers online, finds study
Latest research has revealed that 36% of shoppers use in-store fitting rooms less than they did just three years ago.
The study by online virtual fitting room provider Fits.me found that many of those surveyed appeared to be interested in finding an online alternative to trying on clothes in-store, with over half (52%) of respondents saying they never or only sometimes used in-store fitting rooms because they shopped for clothes on the internet.
A third of consumers (36%) reported using in-store fitting rooms less and less with almost half (45%) of 18-24 year olds saying that they did not use physical fitting rooms as much as they did three years ago.
The main reasons cited for not using in-store fitting rooms were the small size (37%) and queues (32%). Almost one in five respondents (18%) said they disliked 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 main complaint of half of 18-24 year olds (51%) was queues, while 45-54 year olds disliked the small size of the fitting rooms (43%).
Never Miss a Retail Update!In addition, the study revealed that fitting room issues varied according to geographical location. Whereas lighting was an issue in the South East with 16% of consumers saying fitting rooms were ‘too dark, in the North East 27% of respondents said that they were put off from trying garments on in-store as they felt ‘under suspicion’ in the fitting room. One in five (20%) in the East of England claimed that mess was their main issue, while 15% of people in Yorkshire/Humberside and the South West confessed that they were simply too ‘embarrassed to get undressed’ in-store. When given the choice, 64% of consumers surveyed would prefer to try on clothes at home than in-store.
With many of those surveyed choosing to shop online, this brought its own set of problems with 12% of respondents saying that they never bought online due potential sizing issues. A further 61% said that they always or sometimes hesitated before making a purchase online due to sizing concerns. For 19% of consumers over 55 years old, worries over online sizing information meant that they never purchased clothes on the internet.
Heikki Haldre, founder and chief executive of Fits.me, said: “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.”
He continued: “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 own robotic mannequins that take on the exact shape and size of the shopper.
“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.”