Fit is a major Achilles’ heel for online fashion retail, and never more so than when shopping for that essential t-shirt bra or special occasion balconette. It is one of the biggest reasons why shoppers lack confidence to buy and it is also a huge driver for returns. Yet millions of women are turning to e-commerce for this intimate purchase. The reality for busy, digitally-connected female shoppers is that buying a bra online is often considered the quickest, easiest option. However, it is only convenient if the purchase goes smoothly, and a ‘right first time’ purchase is made.
Picking the right bra in the right size can be a life-changing experience — improving posture, comfort and confidence. Get it wrong however, and the bra is either returned, or is added to the growing pile of unused clothing gathering dust in the wardrobes. Either outcome is bad news for the retailer, eroding precious profit margins, reducing customer lifetime value, and undermining sustainability.
So why is online bra shopping so tough? A key differentiator between a simple bra and a go-to t-shirt is that the t-shirt is typically marked by a single size indicator; small, medium, large etc. When a woman is shopping for a bra, she needs to understand her size two-dimensionally. Determining one’s best-fitting bra size becomes more complex as there are seemingly endless size options available. Brick-and-mortar retailers often offer a professional in-store fitting service to get it right. Online shoppers, however, are increasingly buying multiple sizes and styles in the hope that this approach, called size sampling, produces a winner.
The two-dimensional sizing of bras includes a numeric indicator for the band size, as well as a letter indicator for cup size. Band and cup sizes impact one another and can be the differentiator between a bra that has too small of a band and too big of a cup, or vice versa. You might be a size 36C when buying a branded sports bra, and a size 38B at Victoria’s Secret. Similarly, there are different size scales across different countries. Add into the mix, consumers’ personal preference — such as desired lift, degree of padding, strap style, colour, cut and materials — and the number of permutations that make up fit start to spiral dramatically. The sensitivity of these sizes and how they interact, further supports findings that 80% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size.
Accuracy with artificial intelligence
Women across the world can now find the answer to bra fit and comfort – in the shape of data and artificial intelligence. Best-in-class solutions are now able to compile a data set for bras sold by leading brands. This data set includes every size across bra brands, and adds in all the other key variables such as style, cut, fit and fabric. Consumers no longer need to worry about the logistics encoded in a specific bra’s style, size, and fit that often deem physically measuring one’s bust, useless. There can be a quick and easy process for the busy bra shopper by asking the bare minimum of questions regarding their preferences. Market-leading AI-driven solutions can find the perfect bra fit in 60 seconds or less and ensure consumers are kept engaged and presented with the best results as quickly as possible.
The beauty of market-leading AI-driven fit and style solutions is that they grow smarter as consumers use the technology more frequently across the entire retail partner ecosystem. The most effective solutions involve the retailer/brand sharing their product catalogue and transaction data with their AI tech partner. Product details enable the partner to develop a model for every unique style in their catalogue, while transaction data enables both parties to better understand how each unique style connects to each unique shopper.
Giving women the bra-fit tools they crave
Global lingerie sales are expected to be worth US $59 billion by 2024, according to Zion Market Research. Online retailers capable of harnessing data analytics and artificial intelligence to manage the bra-fit problem will be able to secure a larger share of this lucrative market, alongside the satisfaction of providing women with the tools they need to help make the right choice. The good news is that third-party, AI-driven fit and style solutions are already out there, so there is no need to re-invent what, if done correctly, can be a very complex wheel indeed.
Bra shopping is innately intimate. While there are many factors that go into the bra shopping experience online and in-store, a consumer can now increase their chances of ordering the perfect bra that they will love and keep on the first try.
By Jessica Murphy, Co-Founder, True Fit
