Makip, the Japanese creator of a platform which accurately sizes clothing, has announced its move into the UK retail and ecommerce market with the aim of slashing the returns rates for retailers.
Unisize is designed to deliver a 20% reduction in clothing return rates, on average. With 93% of customers citing incorrect sizing, or fit, as the top reason for returning items, according to recent British Fashion Council research, Makip’s entry to the UK market comes at a critical time for UK retail and fashion brands.
Shingo Tsukamoto, president of Makip, said: “What UK retailers and customers need, is virtual sizing technology that recognises unique body size requirements.
“UK ecommerce is going through a returns crisis. Customers often order several different sizes of the same item because they assume that retailers won’t be able to provide the right fit for them – as a result, UK retailers are spending millions of pounds in returns and refunds, and customers are left to explore other options.
“Even though sizing technology has become increasingly sophisticated and widespread throughout the ecommerce world, the age-old problem still exists – you cannot have a standard size, when there’s no such thing as a standard body.”
Founded in 2015, the Tokyo-based company supports over 250 ecommerce sites and popular Japanese fashion brands with its sizing technology. Unisize helps online shoppers to ‘try on’ clothing online and purchase the most suitable and accurately sized clothing item.
Online shoppers are asked basic questions such as age, weight and height to understand the measurements of their body, allowing the sizing technology to map the individual’s body size to the clothing item, and then display how the clothes will fit the unique body size of the shopper.
Makip’s own analysis has shown that providing online shoppers with more accurate sizing options increases the decision to purchase by 2.5 times.
Tsukamoto added: “We accurately display the item of clothing in comparison to the individual body size of the customer. This highly accurate and visual representation of how clothing items fit the online shopper reduces the likelihood of returns while keeping them coming back for more.
“We are looking forward to supporting UK ecommerce fashion retailers and brands in solving the problem of incorrect sizing, reducing returns and providing customers with the right size, first-time.”
