We live in an age completely obsessed by technology. Because of this, it should be no surprise to hear that technology has changed the world of business forever. These days, business owners have stopped attending face-to-face meetings, and now do them all via Skype. They also store all of their important documents on the cloud, rather than in unorganized filing cabinets. The fashion industry has been slower than most when it comes to harnessing technological opportunities, but there are four technologies that are just starting to make a change.
Virtual Fitting Rooms
The process of trying on clothes isn’t very difficult under normal conditions, but it’s made a lot more stressful by having to stand in line for the dressing rooms for ages, and then having to change in such a tiny space. Unfortunately, you can’t just skip this process, and buy online, as return policies tend to be confusing to understand. Thankfully, new technology is being developed, where you can input your measurements online, and see what clothes would look like on a body similar to yours. This saves both customers and stores a lot of time.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence used to be a thing of sci-fi movies and government conspiracies, but it’s quickly becoming one of the biggest technological developments of the 21st century. In fact, it’s often considered to be the most important technology that currently exists. In the fashion world, AI can help to create an easier and calmer browsing experience for customers, as well as personalize virtual storefronts to individuals, thus increasing customer retention. It’s also useful for predictive forecasting and can help to reduce a large percentage of forecasting errors.
Facial Recognition
Any company can use biometric facial recognition from Jumio Netverify as a way to identify customers and prevent fraud, but have you considered using similar technology to pay for your shopping or improve your customer service by gauging mood? No? Well, other companies have. In fact, there are businesses out there doing this right now. You could also use this to learn about your customers’ spending habits and history so that you can recommend products you think your customers will like, both on your company website and in your retail stores.
Contactless Shopping
In the past year, contactless stores have started to be introduced all over the world. These businesses don’t have any salespeople, checkouts, or lines, and instead, rely on cell phone wallet apps and QR codes. This makes shopping a whole lot quicker and way more convenient, as you can just pop in, take what you need, and leave. However, it’s important to note that, while this would work for some clothing stores, more high-end ones tend to focus more on the shopping experience, rather than convenience, meaning contactless shopping may not work.
Each and every day, new and exciting technologies are invented that could completely change the way the fashion business runs. Whether this is for the better or the worse, there is no stopping it, so it’s better to start embracing it now.
