The dreadful impact of the covid-19 pandemic did show how important it is to leverage the technology to stay afloat. Moreover, the situation surely gave rise to many fascinating technologies such as augmented reality clothing fitting and increased the number of adoptions.
Although it might seem all good and overwhelming for retail, it certainly brings along a question, “Are we ready for the enforcement of such technology?”. Such technologies do help reduce the returns, but they also bring certain cons along with them.
Here we are going to look into certain facts that raise questions against the adoption of augmented reality.
1. Hardware And Penetration
We are walking towards adopting these 3D virtual rooms because they claim to work in people’s homes. Indeed it’s possible, but do you have a depth-sensing camera at home? Maybe not. This certainly means you can’t use the 3D fitting room.
Though PCs and connected TVs are a few years away from having depth-sensing cameras, they are of no use when trying virtual fitting rooms. And even if people look forward to installing such tech, the cost-prohibitive nature binds them.
There are questions that we don’t know answers to. So only if a minority of people can install this hardware, how can we expect people to use the retailer’s 3D fitting room at home?
2. No Content, Despite Being The King
Despite the advancement, several manufacturers and even retailers don’t have 3D assets for their clothing items. Moreover, comparing the increasing rate of inflation, 3D assets for augmented reality are certainly cost-prohibitive. Hence despite the dire need, people fail to produce one.
This again, let’s end with a question, Are augmented reality clothing fitting rooms that compelling?
3. Cannot Ensure The Fit
Even if the retailers are able to create a 3D asset cost-effectively, they cannot ensure the fit.
The 3D fitting rooms are more inclined towards how the apparel might appear on your body. So it’s more about appearance. Since all bodies are unique, it is quite difficult to judge where a garment would hang or bulge on a person’s body.
It could keep the shopper void of tactile feedback, which is the key component of the ‘promise of fit.’ Such scenarios increase the rate of returns instead of decreasing them.
4. What’s The Value-Add For In-Shop Shoppers
It is quite apparent that the virtual dressing rooms are valuable for you if you try them at home. This is because it can help you visualize how the dress might look on you. But, if you are at a store, would you prefer to hold up a digital trial? Especially when you know you are just three feet apart from the actual dress.
When you are making an effort to leave home and walk into the store, would you not feel and interact with the real deal?
Bottom Line
The bottom line is, though augmented reality clothing fitting has a positive impact, the bad outweighs the good more, at least when compared to today’s scenario. And such situations raise questions like, is AR really on the block?
