- Amazon is replacing “Try Before You Buy” with a “Virtual Try On.”
- Switching from a physical proof to a digital one is becoming a theme in online retail.
- Virtual Try-On joins other features such as AI-based size recommendations.
Amazon would prefer you try on clothes virtually instead of trying out how they fit at home. The company will officially retire its “Try Before You Buy” program at the end of January, and instead, Amazon wants you to rely on its AI tools to find your perfect option.
Try Before You Buy launched in 2017 as Prime Wardrobe and has allowed shoppers to get up to six items, try them on at home, and pay only for what they keep and ship the rest. A dressing room with bright fluorescent lighting is not necessary. It’s very popular, but Amazon has decided that the program is not good enough.
Amazon believes its AI tools are all you need to find your best look. One might suspect this also has something to do with the company’s increasing investment in AI-powered purchasing functions. After all, why wait for a box of clothes when an algorithm can tell you which pair of jeans you’ll love too?
“Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features such as virtual try-ons, personalized size recommendations, featured reviews, and enhanced size charts for make sure they find the right one. Accordingly, we are phasing out the Try Before You Buy option,” Amazon said in a statement.
E-commerce with AI
The tools Amazon points out are a different way to think about buying clothes online. The virtual try-on is an augmented reality feature that allows you to see how your shoes, glasses or lipstick will look without leaving the couch. Meanwhile, the personalized size recommendation system uses your purchase history, return patterns, and feedback from other customers to predict your ideal size.
For a more conversational approach, there’s the Rufus AI chatbot, ready to answer all your questions and suggest products based on your shopping habits.
For Try Before You Buy fans, this news may sting. The idea of confidently trying on clothes before committing is hard to replace, and AI, no matter how advanced, doesn’t have the tactile pleasure of putting on something that simply fits. Still, Amazon says its free returns policy will remain intact for most clothing purchases, so you can always fall back on the classic “order three sizes and hope for the best” strategy.
Amazon’s decision to switch from physical testing to digital solutions is not just a quirk of the company; It’s part of a more significant trend in retail. AI is becoming increasingly popular as an aid to online shopping from Google and other retailers.
It remains to be seen whether buyers will embrace this new era of virtual assistance or long for the days of box-filled test sessions at home.
