FaceChange

NEW VIRTUAL FITTING ROOM TECH INCREASES SALES BY FOUR TIMES

- AI-powered virtual try-on software from sizing technology specialist, Makip, turns the model into an avatar for online shoppers -

03 JUNE 2024, LONDON: Hot off the heels of securing its first UK customer, sizing technology specialist, Makip, launches its latest innovation in the UK - FaceChange. 

FaceChange allows online shoppers to virtually try on items of clothing they want to purchase by using AI to replace the faces of the online models. Users securely upload an image of their face, and FaceChange then replaces the online model’s face with their own - allowing them to see how they would look wearing the item. 

This is the latest development of Makip’s highly accurate online sizing technology, Unisize, which is quickly becoming established in the UK retail e-commerce market. The FaceChange AI technology has been successfully used in Japan since 2023 and is proven to increase conversion rates by over four times* 

*Comparison of purchase rates between users who used FaceChange and those who did not use FaceChange.

Shingo Tsukamoto, President of Makip said, “With FaceChange, online shoppers can ‘virtually wear’ the clothing items of their choice, gaining instant visual feedback. Now shoppers are not only confident that they are purchasing the right size but are also confident that they will look great. Our Japanese clients using FaceChange have increased sales by four times using FaceChange and now we want to bring similar success to our UK clients.”

With e-commerce retail sales continuing to grow in 2024, UK consumers are spending over £54bn annually on fashion and the cost of returns is estimated to cost UK retailers £4.4bn by 2026. There is a clear opportunity for eCommerce fashion and apparel retailers to ensure they provide great online shopping experiences for their customers, such as providing ‘real fitting’ experiences.

“Using a fitting room is not just to check out the sizing, it is an interactive experience, allowing shoppers to see if the clothing they’ve picked off the rail suits them. Until now, Unisize has only allowed online shoppers to confirm the sizing, but now, FaceChange enables shoppers to determine whether it suits them, from the comfort of their home,” continued Tsukamoto. In a survey conducted in Japan from 11th to 15th April 2024, almost two-thirds (63%) of 559 online shoppers using FaceChange said it helped support their decision to purchase, and when combined with Makip’s flagship product, Unisize, the likelihood of purchase can increase by up to eight times!

Tsukamoto concluded, “This marks a significant step forward to making shopping for clothes online in the UK as satisfying as shopping in a physical store. We are constantly developing the FaceChange technology so that online shoppers can try on many different garments and find the perfect item with the perfect fit.

As our FaceChange technology advances, Unisize will be able to accurately adjust both the body shape and features to the specific sizes of the online shopper, creating an even more accurate online shopping experience. These advances will increase sales and reduce clothing returns - a win-win situation for consumers and retailers.”

Founded in 2015, Tokyo-based Makip supports over 300 online retail/eCommerce sites and popular fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Lacoste with its innovative online sizing technology.

ENDS

About Makip: https://makip.co.jp/en
Based in Tokyo, Japan and founded in 2015, Makip. Co.Ltd (pronounced “May-kip”) is a sizing technology specialist, supporting online retail/ eCommerce and fashion brands with its product Unisize. Unisize helps consumers try on clothing online and purchase the most suitable and accurately sized clothing item, the first time.

Makip derives from the mantra “Make it possible” and has a mission to make the impossible possible through the power of IT, using creativity and grit.

Currently, Makip has over 300 brands using their technology, including Japanese leading fashion brands, and occupies the top share in Japan.

Shoppers can try on clothing online within minutes by answering a few simple questions such as age, weight and height.

The Unisize unique sizing technology maps the individual’s body size to the clothing item to illustrate how the clothes fit, and it realises “trying-on” clothing online.

Unisize can take as little as one month to integrate with the client's website - delivering a reduction in clothing return rates of 20% and increasing purchase rates by 2.5 times.

Makip provides additional services to solve the problem of incorrect sizing to the Japanese market, and it has plans to localise these solutions and target global markets.