The UK retail chain Marks & Spencer has debuted a new technology allowing users to virtually try on clothing.
The new tech was developed by partner Zyler, and has been rolled out in Marks & Spencers outlets in Oxford Circus and Harrogate, both in London. The feature was trialed with the clothing brand Jaeger.
“The introduction of this technology provides a personalized shopping journey where customers become the model,” the company explains. “Shoppers add a head and shoulders photo and basic measurements to see themselves digitally in the Jaeger collection. Sales assistants guide customers through the process and give style advice.”
The partnership with Marks & Spencer is just another in a rapid succession of developments between fashion brands and retailers and metaverse technology partners. While the concept of virtual worlds has taken up a lot of the headlines recently, augmented reality is the other major area in which new metaverse technologies are allowing brands to interact with their customers in entirely new ways.
The Zyler technology also introduces artificial intelligence into the mix, as its smart solution figures out how to display clothing on customers in a virtual way with just a photo and some simple data inputs. Zyler was created by Anthropics Technology, an AI technology solutions company based in London.
Zyler CEO Alexander Berend described the partnership as “a wonderful opportunity to get customers excited about shopping in-store. Shoppers could see themselves in the entire Jaeger range, including items not in stock at that location, to find the best items for them.
“We are delighted to be working with such an iconic brand as Marks & Spencer to improve the shopping experience,” Berend added.