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The online retailer is taking over Zurich startup Fision and declaring war on wrong clothing sizes. This should not only make customers happy, but also reduce unnecessary returns. The most important questions and answers.
With technology from Zurich’s software startup Fision, Zalando’s customers should soon be able to leverage their volume.
Photo: Fision AG
Then you finally got your dream pants from the online store, and then that: They don’t fit. Pulling, jumping and stretching doesn’t help either, you just can’t press your butt against him. And that’s despite the fact that the correct size was chosen. The frustration is great. Pants must be returned to the package and to the sender. That takes time and nerves. And that’s exactly what Zalando wants to change now: With the acquisition of the Zurich startup Fision, the online retailer wants to reduce the potential for frustration, lower the return rate and expand its presence in Switzerland at the same time. This is what customers get.
What is Fision doing?
The software startup Fision was founded five years ago in Zurich and is based on 3-D body scanning. This means that it offers the technology necessary to measure body mass accurately. There is an app and a virtual wardrobe that help clients find the right dress size. Zalando now wants to use this technology to suggest the correct sizes to online shoppers when they shop. Because depending on the manufacturer and brand of clothing, sizes can vary greatly.
How do customers benefit?
Before ordering a garment online, I can be sure that it will fit me. Because the downside of online shopping: the selection is wide, but you can’t try on clothes before buying them. Zalando has been trying to solve this problem for four years and is making clothing suggestions based on the data it collects from the measurements of products that have been ordered and returned. “The size recommendations are based on this information for 50 percent of all items,” says Catherine Westphal, a spokeswoman for Zalando. The new technology aims to improve this rate.
With Fision technology, the customer only has to take their dough once. They will then be saved for future purchases. Based on the stored measurements, suitable garments are suggested to the customer. The goal is to reduce the rate of return. Currently, about half of all purchases are returned through all Zalando stores.
When will the new service arrive?
It has not yet been determined how exactly this service will be integrated into the Zalando website and application and when the customer can use it. «We gwe assume that is 18 until 24 It can take months, because we have to link different technologies, ”says Westphal. The customer does not have to pay more to take action. Returns are also free.
Why is Zalando building a tech hub?
Along with Helsinki and Dublin, Zurich will be Zalando’s third center worldwide to work with new technologies. In addition to finding the right dress size, other customer issues need to be addressed in the long run. Zalando has yet to reveal what they are. Both: it will be about computer vision and artificial intelligence. The center is currently being installed at the Fision location on Stampfenbachstrasse in Zurich. The startup currently has around 20 employees. But in a year and a half or two, the team should grow to 150 employees. “As soon as we grow up, we will look for a suitable location in Zurich,” says spokeswoman Westphal.
Why did Zalando choose Zurich?
The online retailer in Switzerland has been growing for years. After Germany, this is the second largest market for the clothing giant. In 2019, sales in Switzerland exceeded 900 million Swiss francs. But until now Zalando had no employees in Switzerland. That is changing now. Zurich was also chosen for its proximity to large universities such as ETH. Zalando will soon be looking for talent to fill the 100+ positions. “We not only benefit here from Fision’s know-how,” says spokeswoman Westphal, “but we also see a talent factory in Zurich.”
