Covid-19 is altering user behaviour: A tech roadmap for retail outlets

We aren’t buying clothes now, but we will. Are brands and retails outlets ready to tackle shoppers and shopping needs in the post-Covid-19 era?

We aren’t buying clothes now, but we will. Are brands and retails outlets ready to tackle shoppers and shopping needs in the post-Covid-19 era? (Pixabay)

Upgrading your wardrobe, finding a tailor who can stitch a shirt or suit for you, or even buying readymade clothes may not be the top thought on your mind during a pandemic that has confined most of us to our homes.

While buying clothes can wait, there are still some obvious questions you may be asking yourself - If I'm at home, why do I need anything more than casual wear? Even if I have to dress appropriately for video conference meetings, why would I want to buy clothes since I have a working wardrobe?

Besides, even if I feel the urge to buy online, how would I find a good tailor, or get the right fit? Finally, even if I manage to do so and order clothes online, how can I ensure that the delivery is virus-free since coronavirus can survive on some surfaces, even if it is for a limited period?

Preparing for the new normal

While all the above-cited questions are valid concerns, these will take a backseat given the current conditions. However, the Covid-19 pandemic is not going to last forever. It will eventually be contained and lockdowns around the world will be lifted, however depressing and uncertain the current scenario might appear to be.

This brings up another question though, how equipped are businesses and retail shops to deal with the return of the customer? People will start buying clothes again, kids will need new uniforms, staff across hospitals, factories will need them too, and there is also a $3 trillion- fashion industry that will need clothes and designs.

Besides the bulk, there are bigger concerns at play here.

Hygiene concerns will necessitate new approach

Even as the impact of the pandemic tapers, our concerns are unlikely to go away in a hurry. In fact, many rational and irrational fears may spawn new business models and innovative forms of delivery as we continue with some sort of self-distancing for at least another few months.

Hygiene will be of vital importance while purchasing apparels -- shirts, tops, jeans, trousers, etc. The reason: Shoppers may not be comfortable trying on apparel in stores anymore, and stores too may discourage trials for the same reason. Hence, brands will have to ensure that they provide a safe environment for shoppers to conveniently buy what they need.

To attract footfalls and assure shoppers that they are safe, brands will have to ensure that customers manage to identify the right apparel in their first attempt. Consequently, online stores may also prohibit returns in a bid to ensure the hygiene of every piece of garment and the safety of their customers. Stores already implement this policy with undergarments or innerwear, once the lockdown is over, they might just have to implement it for all kinds of clothes.

Some ways to address this

Given that a little over 50% of the shoppers visit stores because they want to touch and feel the apparels they want to buy, stores will have to innovate to give users that same experience, digitally.

The old-school tape measurements will give way to digital fitting in virtual fitting rooms.

The textile industry would also go through major transformational change, as manufacturers would be forced to make antibacterial fabrics, without compromising on style or fashion. Every store will have to ensure compliance with safety requirements and they may also need a compliance certificate.

Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer vision, 3D, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will play a big role going forward as a great value add-on in a customer's digital journey. The goal is to create virtual stores where a customer can choose and buy products. Also, the use of VR in retail is predicted to reduce marketing costs, reduce product returns and offer efficient analytics and data.

Retail giant Zara, for instance, uses AR for in-store displays. Customers can hold their mobile phones up in front of a select shop window, and they will see models wearing pieces from the latest line. Gap uses 'DressingRoom', which is an AR app that lets customers try on clothes anywhere using a Google Tango-enabled device.

On a VR/AR app for clothes, you can customise an avatar based on your body type and see how the different pieces of clothing will look from different angles. And, if you're satisfied with the item, you can buy it straight from the app. Wannaby's Wanna Kicks is another AR-based iOS app that enables customers to try on different pairs of sneakers from the 3D models available.

AI for precise measurement

So much has changed in the world of fashion. Twenty years back, for instance, we all bought fabric, went to a local tailor to get it stitched and paid what the tailor demanded.

Then came ready-to-wear age as brands started introducing better designs, and people began loving it. Some even said minor fitting issues could be ignored as long as they were fine with the design and the price.

Now in the new era of personalisation and standardisation, customers are demanding not only better design and better fit, but they also want the ease and convenience of shopping.

However, the above-cited technology-based models will be successful only if retailers are able to use those to provide customers with the 'perfect size' -- nothing more, nothing less.

Big technology companies like Microsoft, IBM, Google, Facebook and Adobe are in the online fashion game. To be sure, smaller companies such as Stitch Fix, Wide Eyes and our own Mirrorsize, too, have similar and reasonably-priced technology options on offer.

Mirrorsize believes that the global virtual fitting room market is going to grow exponentially over the next five years. This, we hope, will continue to rise piggy-backing on the growing number of smartphone users, improved customer experiences and increased adoption of technologies to drive the market.

We at Mirrorsize have developed a 3D body measurement solution that uses AI, advanced computer vision, deep learning models and mesh processing to instantly provide precise body measurements. And the result of this is an app that can provide measurements for both tight and regular-fit clothing, and shows users their 3D avatars too.

Digital paying dividends even in these trying times

Mirrorsize is offering retailers a free trial, and we have had many inquiries for our app since it can help retailers align costs by automating many processes. Something that is going to be vital in the days to come post the Covid-19 lockdown.

We are pleasantly surprised to be signing up small customers. These customers came from geographies as diverse as Australia, the US, Pakistan, Morocco and also India. Most of these SMEs have less than 10 employees and work on custom tailoring for men and women.

Even before COVID-19 hit us like a bolt from the blue, automation was reshaping the labour market while digital transformation was changing the way we led our lives and did business. This is not going to change, in fact, it is going to follow that path even faster now.

"At least 40% of all businesses will die in the next 10 years… if they don't figure out how to change their entire company to accommodate new technologies," says venture capitalist and former Cisco chief John Chambers.

Hence, it's a no-brainer that helping smaller businesses shift to remote work or digital channel models will be a critical part of the post COVID-19 era. It will be a win-win for them and users too.

Deshmukh is a strategic advisor to Mirrorsize, and has held senior executive positions in the retail, textiles, FMCG, and apparel industries including Raymond Ltd., and the Mafatlal Group.