Wednesday, 21 November 2012

'3D tape measure' for online shoppers, a pointer for NAMs?

Scientists from Surrey University and design experts from the London College of Fashion are developing a programme which can take precise waist, hip, chest and other measurements from camera images.
Using the person's height as a starting point, the software will be able to build up a 3D image and estimate their size at various different points on the body, based on their overall proportions.

Why it matters...
The result will be a more accurate sizing guide than systems based on waist size or a "small/medium/large" scale, which rely on limited measurements and the buyer's perception of their own body size. Instead, the programme will use the exact measurements of each individual garment to predict which size will be the best fit, avoiding shopper tendency to order several sizes of the same garment, just-in-case…

Ultimate in shopper engagement 
For fmcg NAMs, the issue is not how much extra clothes it sells, but the degree of competition it represents to ‘regular’ fmcg in terms of shopper engagement (coupons, leaflets, competitions, pale by comparison….).
This advance in meeting online shopper needs really forces fmcg suppliers to find more creative ways of engaging with the shopper, like tying self-measure monitoring to dietary aids/foods, for starters....

Time to encourage your marketing colleagues to re-assess and engage with consumer needs, before retailers add a real difference to private label? 

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