Walmart offers consumers a more intimate online shopping experience through a virtual try-on tool that allows them to see how clothes look on their bodies.
The new feature, which launched Thursday for iOS users in the Walmart app, comes after the retail giant acquired virtual fitting room company Zeekit in 2021. In March, Walmart introduced its allowing customers to choose among 50 models of different sizes to see how the clothes fit a body similar to yours.
Controversy over new feature
Now, in its next phase, “Be Your Own Model,” users can try on more than 270,000 items on their own bodies, but they must first remove underwear or tight clothing for the tool to work, which has created controversy among users. users.
“This experience allows customers to use their own photo to better visualize how their clothes will fit and creates a shopping gamification that we believe will be highly engaging for the customer,” said Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private label for Walmart. , in a .
The most modest users still have options. On the Walmart app, users can decide whether they’d like to see clothes on a model of their choice or become a model themselves, according to an explainer video from the company.
Unlike previous technology that would layer one photo on top of another for virtual try-ons, Walmart says “Be Your Own Model” uses algorithms and machine learning to simulate a more realistic fit.
“Walmart is the first to offer a virtual try-on experience for apparel brands at scale, and it’s the most realistic app I’ve seen,” said Incandela.
Walmart is the latest retailer to jump on the virtual try-on trend. In August, Amazon launched an augmented reality service that allows customers to try on shoes virtually, and other retailers such as Macy’s and Adidas have also previously worked with Zeekit to experiment with virtual reality.
