University of La Verne Winter 2013 BUS 510: Management of Information Technology Group Project F&F Virtual Fitting Room of Tesco

Instructor: Dr. Nazila Safavi Group members: ming-wei li Shunzi Jin Tzu-hao Huang Xia Fang Yan Lu

Jan. 30, 2013 Table of Content Abstract 3 Introduction of Tesco 4 F&F 3D virtual fitting room system 5 * Introduction 5 * Features 5 * Operation 6 * Benefits & Shortcomings 7 System Improvement 11 * Technology 11 * Operation 12 * Function 12 * Customer membership 12 Reference 14 Abstract With the development of Internet and information technology, online shopping holds greater popularity day by day for its convenience and rich selectivity. One of the biggest problems with online clothing shopping, however, is that customers can’t try the items sold online on before they receive these products. Tesco which is the third-largest retailer in the world has launched a virtual 3D fitting room system (which is called the F&F Virtual Fitting Room) both on its Facebook page and the organization’s online shopping website. Supported by the latest information and computer technologies, F&F Virtual Fitting Room will create significant benefits not only for the online shopping customers but also for Tesco itself. Although this system is talked as the virtual fitting room, there still should be prospective development for this technology to improve to achieve the higher quality images, the more reasonable operation, and the richer functions such as the real combination of clothing styles, people’s specific measurements and the accurate fitness. In this paper, we analyze the virtual fitting room comprehensively and focus on the improvements of this system. Keywords: Tesco, 3D virtual fitting room, Information technology

Introduction of Tesco Tesco is the head of Britain’s grocery and general merchandise store, it is also one of the top three retailers in the world, which has more than 2711 stores in the world and employs over 366,000 people. Tesco began as a food retailer and then extended its products to clothing, electric appliance, customer finance service, internet service and car insurance. Until now, people can get a lot of kinds of products from a Tesco store. Tesco is also the first retailer that emphasized its own brand products. Tesco stores in UK can be divided to five formats: Tesco Extra, Tesco Superstores, Tesco Metro, Tesco Express and One Stop. Tesco Extra is the largest mainly store which almost contains all of Tesco’s products. Tesco Superstores are Tesco’s standard large supermarket, which mainly sell foods and a few non-food products. It is very common locate in city center and the main source of income. Tesco Metro’s size is between Tesco Superstores and Express and is also mainly locate in city center. Tesco Express is like the convenience store whose main products are foods. The number of Tesco Express had over 650 in the UK. One Stop, which has the smallest size, is the only store without the name “Tesco” Tesco also has a lot of other features: Internet retailing, petrol station, telecoms photo shops, Technika, film making, record rebel, video-on-demand and beauty salon. The abundant diversified products make Tesco’s business extend all over the world. It supplies so many kinds of products that people can easily meet the needs in a Tesco store.

F&F 3D virtual fitting room system * Brief introduction Tesco’s virtual 3D fitting room makes people purchase the clothing online easily by choosing the detail of consumers and make a virtual body which consumers can see if the clothes are suitable to themselves. Tesco’s clothing brand F&F will suggest the size according to the details that the consumers gave. In addition, consumers can even modify hairstyle on their virtual selves and consumers can create an account that saved all of their details, when people come to the website again they can easily find out their own details and do the consumption. By the new virtual 3D system, people will no longer have to worry about if they purchased online then found the clothing is not suitable. * Features 1. Virtual fitting The system gives customers the chance to virtually try on their interested merchandise before purchasing online. 2. 3D digital models Customers can either fit their merchandise on models pre-built by Tesco or create their own version with an uploaded picture and the measurements for their heights, weights, hips and waists. They can also change the hairstyle on the model built based on the personal details provided. 3. Quick & Easy The virtual body will be created in just a few minutes and will look pretty like the user. Customers can also get advice on size from the system. 4. No more guessing With 3D models built according to their body measurements, customers no longer need to take a hard guess whether their interested merchandise will actually fit them. This will likely to result in the decrease of the probability of returns and exchanges. 5. Creative & Entertaining Customers can get inspiration by trying on various dresses, shirts, trousers, shoes, jackets etc. to match out different outfits and finally find their perfect matching style. Customers can also share with each other their virtual looks online 6. No queue Best for those who dislike wandering around the marketplace and have already been tired of waiting in line just to get into the dressing room to try their clothes on. * Operation Shopping on line for clothing is easy and convenient, but sometimes customers return clothes due to they are not satisfied with the size. Emily Shamma, director of Tesco clothing online, said: “We know the main reason people get nervous about buying clothed online, because they can not try clothes on first.” Tesco developed a virtual 3D fitting room for its F&F clothing brand that customers can pick more suitable clothes from a couple of photos. The system start-up with digital, it requires two pictures of the body and one picture of the face, or real measurements a picture of the face, then the system auto generates 3D virtual images that look like the user. F&F fitting system will base on the details from the phones to suggest clothing sizes. Customers can try different styles of clothes on, its just like customers would in a real shop. Tesco trial the service through Facebook page, the service system includes 50 items, and added 10 items each week during the trial. Facebook bloggers can use the virtual fitting room to create a look and ask their reader’s opinions before they wearing the clothes in real life. Then they can add the clothes they like to their Tesco basket. The agency is also running a photo contest within Facebook. User can upload photos, which after they fitting clothes, those pictures were voted by their friends and Tesco fanbase, each day with one winner can get £50 voucher to spend towards creating their look. In addition, there’s an ‘Ask my stylist’ feature, customers can ask a stylist to get some suggestion form Clothing at Tesco If Tesco’s customers tell them they like this system, Tesco online shop for clothes has real business benefits, not only with more people would like shop for clothes on their system, but also helping to reduce returns, caused by customers ordering the wrong size. Tom Adeyoola, CEO and founder of Metail, the digital agency behind the virtual fitting room technology, said this technology is about solving one of the biggest problems with online shopping- clothing shape and fit. Back in 2010, they used robotic mannequins to create virtual fitting room. Now, it increase customers sale by 57% and reduced returns by 28% * Benefits and Shortcomings The launch of 3D virtual fitting room system supported by the latest technology generates great benefits which can be analyzed from the two main aspects: the online shopping customers and the Tesco Company. 1. Benefits for customers 1) Getting the perfect size One of the causes that make the customers shopping online nervous is that they can’t try those clothes on like what they do in the real shop. This can also lead to the confusion of the size selection and the final unsuccessful shopping experience. By inputting the basic body data such as the height, weight, bra size, hips and waist, the customers can get their 3D body image and be advised the recommended size of the chose item. The more detailed information will also be displayed such as suggested fit, close fit and loose fit depending on the choosing size and the customer’s body data. 2) Complete dressing and matching After the customers choosing the perfect size of the first selected item, they can continue to scan the online shop to search for other products. Then the 3D pictures of the other items will be showed on the virtual body image too. Therefore, the customers can match various dress, tops, pants, shoes and so on to see the collocation effect to find the desired complete outfit. 3) Having fun Just like a computer game, the customers can also choose the hairstyles and backgrounds what they like from numerous selections to make the virtual fitting room more lively and funny. It is real interesting to see a virtual 3D body with your own face and figure you’re your desired appearance. 4) Personalized online shopping experience After the first online shopping in Tesco used the F&F virtual fitting room, the customers can save the body model as their personal portfolio so that it can be directly used the next time. The customers can also enjoy the personalized shopping experience using their specific 3D virtual body image to try on clothes online and receive reasonable recommendation. What’s more, they can even track their body data by this system that especially attracts the ladies. 2. Benefits for Tesco Actually, this 3D virtual fitting room system will not only make more convenient shopping experience for online customers but also help Tesco do the business operation and sales better. 1) Reducing the returns The most obvious contribution of this virtual fitting room for the organization is the reduction of the products returns because it helps the customers find the perfect sizes to make the best decisions. The ratio of items returns derived from the unbefitting sizes has decreased which can also cut down the operation cost of Tesco Company. 2) Boosting the online clothing sales There is no doubt that the online business and shopping will become more and more popular in these years. As Tesco has this advanced 3D virtual fitting room service in its website, it can offer more customized service and attract more customers to shop. These great convenience and fun by using customers’ personal digital body models during the online shopping will also increase the page view of Tesco’s web as well as the online clothing sales. 3) Gain popularity by social media and Internet It is intelligent for Tesco to trail this virtual fitting room service on its Facebook page firstly. The interaction between the social media and the organization make more and more Facebook users become the customers of Tesco after they trail this new function. Meanwhile, the reputation of Tesco has been increased through the Internet. Today both the Tesco Facebook clothing page and its online shopping website are providing this virtual fitting room service for all customers. 3. Shortcomings After analyzing the main benefits for the customers and Tesco, the shortcomings of this relative new technology will be discussed as followed. 1) Rough image Because of the technology limitation, this 3D virtual image is still in its initial stage. The customers can only get a basic and rough 3D digital body model using one face picture and their body measurements. 2) Not all items available When we browse the website of Tesco, we can find that it is not available for every clothing item to use the virtual fitting room function. The larger portion of products can be tried on the digital body model while a few still cannot. 3) Not combine the style, accurate fit and personal specific measurement perfectly In its initial stage, the 3D virtual fitting room can only provide the size recommendation and the rough image of the selected clothes on the body model. Even providing the accurate personal measurements, the customers still can’t realize which style will fit them best.

Improvement of F&F virtual fitting room system Based on those shortcomings analyzed before, the 3D virtual fitting room system could be improved from the following aspects. * Technology Improvement The supporting computer technology can be updated to attain the higher quality digital images. One method to improve the system is combining it with some advanced 3D modeling software such as 3DS MAX and MAYA. Once the customers input the accurate measurements (more body measurements needed such as shoulder, brachium, leg length, etc.), the 3D software can help the fitting room system generate the more delicate body model. Instead of only one picture of customer’s face, more pictures can be provided from different angles including both the front and side face. Another way to improve the face effect is establishing a model base containing thousands of different facial organs models. It may be more interesting for customers to choose which eyes and nose most look like theirs and put them together to get the final face. The customers can also design different hairstyles, makeups, accessories and background just like playing a computer game. * Operation Improvement The process talked above which can get more exact body model will add the complexity of the operation for customers. However, some of the customers who are not so patient or just want to see the approximate effect of clothes may reject this new complex operation. Here we can provide two methods for customers to choose: one is the regular process just like what Tesco does now that provides simple data to get the rough body and clothes image. The other is the complex one with advance 3D software mentioned before. After the customers get their 3D body models that look more beautiful and are more close to themselves, then they will enjoy the more personalized and convenient operation when they began choosing the clothes. The fact that not all the clothes items sold by Tesco clothing website supporting the 3D virtual fitting room system is restricted by the limited computer technology today. To solve this problem, advanced technology should also be used to make all kinds of items can be tried on the digital body model especial for those clothes with complicated styles. * Function Improvement The F&F virtual fitting room system now cannot realize the real combination of person’s measurements, clothing styles and the fitness between them. Therefore, the new fitting room can be added with more utility functions. The first one could be the style recommendation function. Based on the body model established by computer, the system will suggest what kinds of clothes may fit this body best, including types, styles and colors. The second function is match assistant. For example, once a customer selects a top and tries it on the virtual body, the system will create a list of match schemes with different matching pants, skirts, coats, shoes, etc. The customers may purchase more products to match the firstly selected one if they like their outfits and final appearance showing on the screen. Tesco could also establish the online community associated with the fitting room system in which the customers can communicate with each other about their purchase experience and the perspectives about fashion. Some questions about clothes matching or fashion trend can also be asked and answered in this online community. * Customer Membership Undoubtedly, the improvement and updating of this virtual fitting room could become a significant amount of cost for Tesco including technology development, fashion research, human labor and daily maintenance. To reduce the influence of this increasing cost for Tesco’s net income, the Tesco website can use membership to divide the customers. The customers who have Tesco free web account but without F&F fitting room membership can browse Tesco’s website, select items and do shopping there as they like. Also they can use the fitting room function for free but only with limited functions and limited times per month. For those who have the advanced Tesco account with the F&F fitting room membership, they should pay for the monthly fee for this membership and enjoy all those functions of fitting room systems without any limitation. They will have their personal portfolio recording their perfect digital body model, their fashion preference, their updating style recommendation and match assistant and also all of their trail history. Some famous designers or fashionistas will also be invited by Tesco to become those customers’ personal advisor to help dress them up better. To sum up, the 3D virtual fitting room still has a lot of space to improve. This system could become higher technological associated with advanced 3D modeling software, more funny like one interesting computer game, and more convenient and artificial intelligent for customers to operate. It could also hold richer and useful functions to attract more people. The benefits of using this advanced information technology system will cover various aspects of the organization, not only reducing the return rate, boosting the online sales and increasing the profit, but also making Tesco as a popular, fashionable, high-tech and fantastic brand among both online and offline customers.

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