Burgeoning AI/AR startup, Neatsy.ai, known for creating a quick and accurate AI/AR-powered, 3D foot scanning iOS app, has taken its technology to the next level with a free SDK version of its widget, for use by footwear retailers and brands.
The company claims this is a first-of-its-kind technology in the e-commerce space and that brands and retailers can integrate it into their sites or apps for free.
Online buyers have proven to be very cautious when buying shoes online, in part because they fear they won’t fit. In fact, the “fit problem” is the biggest reason (half of the time) footwear orders are returned. This is especially crucial for small brands, for which costly returns can be catastrophic to overall margins.
According to industry estimates, $30 billion is lost each year due to logistical costs, destruction of boxes, missing sneakers and other factors. This is partially due to Amazon’s “free shipping both ways” precedent, as well as convincing people to make regret-free online purchases. The COVID-19 crisis, while a boon for online shopping, only further exacerbated the online return problem.
That’s where Neatsy comes in.
Neatsy’s iPhone app, originally a B2C offering for sneaker shoppers looking for better fits, pivoted to a B2B model after interest from footwear brands and retailers. In effect, its 3D scanning/measuring SDK technology enables retailers to provide customers with real-time sizing and model recommendations, based on their personal measurements.
In addition to offering a fast, state-of-the-art UX that requires no reference objects (i.e. credit card, piece of paper), Neatsy’s technology has been shown to increase consumer confidence, increasing add-to-cart/purchase conversions by almost 50 percent (with Neatsy 19.8 percent, without 13.3 percent), as well as decreasing online returns by almost 40 percent.
Here’s how it works within a desktop:
• Brands and retailers can place a QR code on individual PDP’s within their desktop website.
• The customer can then scan the QR code with their iPhone, which will redirect them to the Neatsy app on their smartphone. (If they don’t already have it, the customer will quickly download the Neatsy app and then follow the concise directions to create a full 3D map of his/her feet.)
• Once scanning is completed, they will again scan the QR code on the desktop screen and effectively import their foot measurement data, to the brand or retail site, and subsequently get personal footwear recommendations provided by the widget.
This UX feature will provide consumer value in a few ways:
First, it gives the user a personalized fit rating for each model of a particular brand (or multiple brands if used by a broad-based retailer) based on the user’s personal data, as well as thousands of previous measurements/reviews stored by Neatsy’s algorithm.
Secondly, it will recommend the customer’s optimal size(s) for each particular shoe style/model, as well as the percentage chance that a particular size will be the user’s best fit.
Finally, it will provide a view of past reviews so the customer can see whether the model was comfortable enough and fit well for those with similar measurements.
