Size & Fit Issue in Ecommerce: How to Sell the Right Fit & Size to your Customers?

“Online clothing retailers struggle with high fashion ecommerce return rates, which is about 20%” says Sucharita Mulpuru, a Principal Analyst for Forrester Research. “For expensive items, returns rates are even higher – 50%. The numbers look even bigger, if you consider fashion ecommerce return rates of Brick-and-mortar stores – less than 10%.” (Erin G. Smith, WSJ) Sizing & fitting is one of the inherent problems for not just customers shopping online, but also for online retailers.

Many retailers have tried to dig deeper into the size problem and find a solution to break this barrier between fashion brands and shoppers. Years of attempts to standardize sizing have been fruitless; fitting people into rigid size “frames” seems impossible. Read more about the attempts of sizes standardization and vanity sizing here. One of the biggest obstacles for companies expanding into global markets is providing accurate sizing for the local markets. And when you add international expansion of fashion brand and global tourism into the equation, the size complexity multiplies.

So why do customers return the products that they buy online? There can be many reasons, for example – maybe they didn’t like the color or fabric, maybe they simply changed their mind, or it simply didn’t fit them the way they expected. As an Online Retailer, gathering data related to the reasons behind returns is of paramount importance if you are serious about winning customer loyalty.

So why do customers return the products that they buy online? There can be many reasons, for example – maybe they didn’t like the color or fabric, maybe they simply changed their mind, or it simply didn’t fit them the way they expected. As an Online Retailer, gathering data related to the reasons behind returns is of paramount importance if you are serious about winning customer loyalty.

The Retailers are moving and expanding to new markets for growth. One of the biggest challenges which Global market offers them is that different demographics have different body shape, size, stature, etc. Retailers and fashion brands are trying to hit a fast-moving target. When it comes buying fashion online, or worse, returning it, the number one factor is fit,” he said. “Some 70% of all returned garments online are fit related. Furthermore, fit has a huge impact on fashion brand loyalty with 85% of consumers saying they go back to a brand specifically because of how it fits them. Size & Fit related returns are a massive issue for online fashion suppliers. And when you add international expansion of fashion brand and global tourism into the equation, that confusion multiplies. Different country size designations, an absence of country or international size correlation standards, different and dramatically inconsistent grading between sizes, and confusion around alpha, or letter sizing, such as S-M-L-XL all add up to a perplexing environment for shoppers.” (Ed Gribbin, Edited)

Speaking from our professional experience, the sizing differences between fashion brands, countries, genders are sometimes more “tangible”, and sometimes the sizing between some of the fashion brands can be somehow similar. To visualize the inconsistency between fashion brands from the UK, ‘What size am I?’ asked a size 12 model to try out size 12 in different fashion brands and choose a size that really fits her. The results were not surprising. Consistency was clearly missing in the sizes among fashion brands that were tested. (Read more about the project)

What is more, the “ What size am I?” project suggests that different fashion brands provide clothe sizes based on their target audience’s needs and image. “While working on this, I noticed some interesting trends.

Firstly, all stores size in evenly spaced increments – because they are using fitting models rather than individual models for each size – but different stores aim for different markets. Some retailers seem to cover pretty much every widely available size – in the UK, these include Gap, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon, and Next. Others are unashamedly aimed at what I call the “fashionable midget” end of the market, like TopShop, Banana Republic and Kate Middleton’s beloved Reiss.” (Anna Powell-Smith, project What size am I ?)

Sizing tools available in the market
“A new wave of technologies is just beginning to hit the market, these technologies (a) acknowledge that different fashion brands fit differently and that they will likely never align; (b) can help individual shoppers, no matter what their size or body shape, find the fashion brands with the best personal fit for them. This technology can quantify the exact size and shape variances among thousands of fashion brands. They will allow fashion brands and retailers to more accurately connect shoppers with the fashion brands and styles that will fit and flatter them on a personal level.

Fit among fashion brands may never be aligned, but empowering consumers with better information and simple, intuitive tools, designed for today’s increasingly mobile lifestyles, will ease the pain of finding the right size the next time they need that perfect fit.”

Size problem in online shopping is many customers & retailers. According to Digital fashion eCommerce 360, the fit size issue is the common reason for returning an online order. Time estimates that 40% of online shopping is returned, mostly due to size issues with order.

(Ed Gribbin, Edited) To put it simply, there are 4 main approaches that are used to solve the sizing & fit issue in fashion e-commerce. Each of them serves a different purpose and has its own advantages and disadvantages:

Things you can do to help your customer pick their right size Here are 3 techniques used by bigger retailers like Zalando, ASOS & Amazon to help their customers pick the right size. These techniques can help you communicate the product size and fitting more efficiently to your customers:

1. Detailed model and product description (Zalando). Describe the model wearing the garment: what size she/he is wearing, how tall they are, etc. The more information you’ll provide about the model and the garment, the better understanding of the product’s fit your shoppers will get.
2. Product reviews and feedback (Amazon). Implement or gather yourself (if possible) customer’s feedback. What fit, what did not fit, and, finally, was is it what they expected?
3. Show perspective in photography (ASOS). It is important to spend time and resources to showcase the product, especially if you sell shoes. Sometimes it requires an overall product impression to make a purchase decision.

Enter EasySize
At EasySize, we have proven that the size & fit issue can be solved by simply using the resources an online shop already has, which is data. Each shop, no matter how big or small it is, contains large amounts of data of what their shoppers buy, return and do not return. By reading and mapping the purchase behavior it is possible to read and understand every single shopper’s style & fit and preferences.

About Author

Gulnaz Khusainova Originally from Russia, is the Founder & CEO at EasySize – A data-driven company based in Denmark, disrupting fashion e-commerce with their data-driven sizing solution for retailers. Gulnaz holds MSc in Strategic marketing and has an experience in big data technologies while working as a Head of the unit in one of the largest banks in Russia. Despite her young age (26 years old), she has been recognized as one of the most inspiring young female entrepreneurs in Europe’s eCommerce Space.