Tommy Hilfiger is experimenting with in-store AR try-on
Tommy Hilfiger, the PVH-owned American fashion brand has been consistently pursuing integration of new technologies in their brand. From premiering a Phygital fashion show to participating in Metaverse Fashion Week with a first of its kind Multi-metaverse experience, the tech department at the company has been testing out new ways of engaging the audience on all fronts — Digital and IRL. This latest venture is about experimenting with AR try-ons in select stores, for a limited time period. It has partnered with the digital and AR fashion platform Zero10, to employ this new in-store experience. This feature is only available for the new Tommy X Shawn Classics Reborn collection, at the following locations –
1. London (Regent Street) until 16 April,
2. Berlin (Kurfürstendamm) from 23 March-16 April, and
3. Milan (Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan) from 25 March-16 April.
The stores feature a high-quality AR experience on a large screen which is the Zero10 AR mirror. Zero10 had been developing this proprietary technology for two years, which enables the users to get a glimpse of what the real outfit would look like on them with the help of Augmented Reality. When trying on virtual looks, the visitors are saved from the hassle of trials, standing in queues and searching for right sizes. 1000+ unique visitors already have had the experience as of last week.
A visitor, Hassan Shehzad says, “(Zero10 AR try-on) is a game changer and a time-saver innovation”. It is a new and an exciting way to engage customers in a retail store. Plus, it lets customers have fun with the special effects that are only available virtually. It is a unique way for visitors of the store to interact with a product before they even buy it. While describing the interaction, another visitor Jessica Skopp says, “more than selling products or services, selling experiences”.
The collection available to try-on virtually consists of 10 digital designs from the physical collection, combined into 5 outfits. Three virtual looks feature special animated effects exclusively available in augmented reality only, highlighting the unique creative capabilities of the technology. Visitors who choose to experience the service can keep their images as a memory and share it with the world via their socials. The digital natives can also try the fits on the Zero 10 app.
Recently, there has been a rise in the use of AR technology. Deloitte research for Snapchat found that “when people experience a product through AR, they have a better understanding of the size of the product and how it looks, leading to a decrease of up to 28 percent of returns. By 2025, nearly 75 percent of the global population — and almost all smartphone users — will be frequent augmented reality (AR) users.”
It will aid in delivering better results where “Customisation” is key! Just like the special animated effects, customers can try-on virtual versions of the personalised physical counterparts and see how their chosen designs will look. It will give them a chance to decide if the product is to their satisfaction and working for them, even before getting the final product in hand (read Wedding dresses)!
Since AR is a new medium, fashion brands are currently using it as a part of Marketing and employing it to promote new launches, like in the case of Tommy Hilfiger. It is yet to be utilised as a mainstream service in fashion business for all product categories whether it be retail or e-commerce. One could say that commerce through AR is in its nascent stage! But this is a good test-and-learn opportunity for Tommy Hilfiger to weigh in the actual benefits and analyse if it’s worth it for them to invest in it.
Although the AR technology is constantly improving to deliver more accurate results, we are not quite there yet. During Bain & Company and Google’s survey, some Gen Z and millennial shoppers highlighted the current limitations of virtual try-on and virtual try-outs. They described augmented reality images as “super-cartoonish” and reported that the colors were “never accurate.”
Another important aspect to consider for the successful use of AR for physical retail is that if the front-line teams are educated and trained well enough so that they are able to use and explain the latest tools to the customers. If they are unsuccessful in providing the customers with a smooth, hassle-free first interaction with the tech, visitors are prone to becoming sceptical and resistant in trying it again.
There’s a bright side, young visitors both online and offline are increasingly engaging with the AR try-ons. According to Bain & Company and Google’s survey, Gen Z and millennials are significantly more likely than older generations to have used emerging media to shop (see fig. 1). Since these groups are becoming more economically powerful, retailers need to ensure their current business is optimally configured, both for short-term and longer-term strategic initiatives.
“Finally, as well as enriching the online shopping experience, tech-enabled innovations will be key to realizing the full strategic value of brick-and-mortar stores (read advantages of AR try-ons for example). Deployed skillfully, they can turn stores into theatres where brands are brought to life and into laboratories for new ideas and technology — a great way to attract new omnichannel customers.” — Bain & Company and Google’s survey brief.
