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Fitting Rooms Go High Tech
Imagine a fitting room with a “smart” mirror. It can suggest jeans to go with the red shirt you brought in. It snaps a video. It can allow you to compare the image side-by-side[并排式] with other colorful shirts you try on. It might even show you how the shirt will fit without having to change.
A handful of primarily[主要地] upscale[高级的] retailers， including Neiman Marcus注1 and Nordstrom注2， are testing versions[版本] of this high-tech fitting room. Experts say the masses[大众] will be able to try these innovations[创新] at more stores in the next few years. It will happen as the technology gets cheaper.
This trend is a way stores aim to catch up to online rivals like Amazon.com. Online， companies are able to gather information on which items shoppers browse[浏览]. The companies can use that to recommend other products. The new technology that enables physical stores[实体店] to collect much of the same data as online retailers raises privacy[隐私] questions. But executives[主管] say customers are offered[提供] a choice and the data is protected.
Stores are tapping into[挖掘] the significant role the often-forgotten fitting room can play in purchase decisions. While 36 percent of store browsers wind up[以……结束] buying something， 71 percent of shoppers who try on[试穿] clothes in the fitting room become buyers. That is according to Paco Underhill， a retail consultant[顾问]. Yet the typical fitting room isn’t always inviting[诱人的]. Only about 28 percent of shoppers even walk into a dressing room of a typical clothing chain， Underhill says.
“The dressing room experience in many places has been close to miserable[痛苦的]，” Underhill said. “There’s bad lighting. They’re dirty. And they have poor service.”
Some companies are working to change that impression. Later this year， Big Space， a technology company， plans to test a new mirror at an undisclosed[未泄露的] clothing chain. It will recognize the gender[性别] of a customer and make recommendations[推荐] based on that. Customers will also be able to request or purchase items directly from the mirror. They can even have them shipped.
Other technologies are already being tested in stores. In recent years， stores like Bloomingdale’s注3 and Top Shop注4 have tested tech that lets shoppers see how they look in an outfit[服装] without trying it on.
The patented[专利的] MemoryMirror注5 from a
Palo Alto， California-based company called MemoMi is one of the most advanced in this so-called virtual[虚拟的] dressing， a feature that’s expected to be tested in U.S. stores later this year. The mirror is outfitted with sensors[传感器]， setting off[引起] motiontriggered[由动作引起的] changes of clothing.
MemoryMirror uses pixel[像素] technology that captures[捕捉拍摄] even small details， such as a wrinkle[褶皱] on a skirt as it moves.
For those trying on the clothing， the mirror also doubles as a video camera， capturing a 360-degree view of what an outfit looks like and making side-by-side comparisons. Shoppers can then replay the video and share it with friends.
Earlier this year， Neiman Marcus rolled out[推出] the
MemoryMirror. And it’s already outside fitting rooms at three of its locations； in Walnut Creek， California； San Francisco and the Dallas suburb[郊区]. It’s even considered activating[激活] the “virtual dressing”feature[功能].
John Koryl is president of Neiman Marcus stores and online. He said that the mirror allows the retailer to have specific information regarding[关于] who tried on the dress and bought it for the first time. “shoppers must register[注册] for a unique account[账户] with their email address to use the mirror’s features. Any data collected on the mirror’s usage is anonymous[匿名的] and aggregated[合聚的].” he said.
This is how it works. A touch screen allows the
customer to flip through[浏览] a catalog and indicate[指出] which items he or she wants in the dressing room. The customer inputs their cellphone number and the sales clerk texts when the fitting room is ready. When the shopper walks in the dressing area， the mirror recognizes the items and displays[展示] the different clothing on the screen.
Minkoff said the two stores testing this technology are selling the clothing two and a half times faster than expected. And shoppers are increasing the number of items they buy by 30 percent. “We are creating dressing room therapy[疗法]，” said Uri Minkoff.
However， the new technology has some consumer
advocates[消费者保护团体] concerned.
“People love new technology as long as they are aware of what is happening to them and have control of their data.”said Nuala O’Connor. She is president & CEO注6 of nonprofit[非盈利的] Center for Democracy & Technology.
But some customers are embracing[拥抱] it. Wendy
DeWald， of San Francisco， spent $1000 on her first trip to the Rebecca Minkoff store. And she’s returned a few more times. She doesn’t mind sharing some of her personal data to get a better experience.
“I’m pretty blown away，” she said. “It’s a toy in the
dressing room. It enhances[提高] the experience.”
想象一下试衣间里配有一面智能镜子。当你拿着一件红色衬衣进去，镜子就会为你推荐几条牛仔裤作为搭配。镜子可以录制动态视频，在视频里你可以将不同颜色的衬衫搭配进行对比。你甚至无需更换衣服就可以得知衬衣是否合身。
包括内曼·马库斯和诺德斯特龙在内的几家主要高档零售商，正在测试不同版本的高科技试衣间。专家称，几年后，大众就能在更多的实体店体验到这种创新技术。随着科技成本的降低，智能试衣间将成为现实。
对于那些想要与亚马逊这一类网上零售商竞争的实体店来说，这一趋势将成为他们的出路。网上零售商能轻易地收集到顾客正在浏览的商品信息，然后根据这些信息向顾客推荐其他商品。这一新技术能让实体店收集到与网上零售商一样多的信息。同时，智能试衣间也与网上零售商一样存在隐私问题。但执行主管说，顾客们会有所选择且他们的所有信息都受到保护。
试衣间在人们的购买决策中扮演的至关重要的角色经常被人们遗忘，而现在实体商铺正在挖掘它这一无限潜力。销售顾问柏高·安德希尔表示，有36%的顾客在只看不试的情况下最终会买下商品，而71%顾客则会在试完衣服后才将其买下。然而，传统试衣间却不总是那么受欢迎。只有大约28%的顾客会走进一家典型的服装连锁店试衣间试衣，安德希尔说。
“很多店铺的试衣间体验都很糟糕，”安德希尔说。“光线暗淡、肮脏不堪，服务态度也很差。”
一些公司正努力改善顾客对试衣间的印象。一家叫“大空间”的技术公司计划今年年底在一家秘密服装连锁店测试一面新型镜子。这面镜子能够辨别出顾客的性别并以此为客人提供建议。顾客也能直接通过镜子挑选并购买商品，并送货到家。
其他相关的技术也已经在实体店展开测试。近年来，像布鲁明戴尔百货和尚品百货已经测试过一种技术，在无需试穿的情况下，也能让顾客看看衣服是否适合自己。
总部设在美国加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托市的MemoMi公司为其研制的记忆镜子申请了专利，这面镜子是在所谓的虚拟试衣领域里最为先进的技术之一。年底，这项技术有望在美国各大商店投入测试。这面镜子配备了传感器，顾客可以通过动作来激发传感器，达到换衣服的效果。
记忆镜子采用的成像技术能够捕捉到甚为细微的东西，例如裙子抖动时产生的褶皱。
当顾客试衣的时候，这面镜子也兼作一个摄像机，360度全方位捕捉顾客穿上衣服的样子，并将其不同的搭配进行对比。接着顾客可以重播这个短片或者分享给好友。
今年年初，内曼百货正式推出记忆镜子。你还可以在加州桃核溪市、旧金山和达拉斯郊区这三个地方体验这面记忆镜子。内曼百货甚至还考虑启用“虚拟试衣”的功能。
约翰·高丽是内曼百货实体店和网店的董事长。他说，有了这面智能镜子，服饰零售商就能掌握到更多详细信息，例如是谁试了这件服装以及是谁第一次买下它的。“顾客如果要使用这面镜子，就必须要用他们的邮箱注册一个独一无二的账户。所有收集起来的关于镜子使用的数据都是匿名处理并最后进行汇总的。”他说。
一起来看看镜子是怎么操作的。顾客可以在触摸屏浏览目录，并选择自己想要试穿的衣服。顾客输入自己的手机号码后，当试衣间准备好时，售货员就会通过短信告知顾客。当顾客走进更衣区，镜子就能识别出顾客已经挑选好的衣物并将其在屏幕上展示出来。
明科夫说，两间正在试用这一技术的商铺售出衣服的速度比预期快2.5倍。同时，顾客也比以往多买了30%的商品。“我们正在创造改良传统试衣间的方法，”他说。
然而，这一新技术也引起了消费者保护团体的担忧。
“只有当人们对一切正在发生的事情拥有知情权，并且能自己掌握其个人信息时，他们才会喜爱这一新技术。”非盈利组织民主与科技中心的董事长和执行总裁鲁娜·奥康纳如是说。
而一些顾客则对这项新技术持欢迎态度。来自旧金山的温迪·德瓦尔德在第一次去逛瑞贝卡·明可弗品牌店时就花了一千美元，并且后来她又去逛了几次。如果能获得更好的体验，她并不介意与别人分享一些她的个人数据。
“简直太棒了，”她说。“智能镜子就是试衣间里的一个玩具，它能带来更好的试衣体验。”
注1：尼曼，以经营奢侈品为主的美国连锁高端百货商店。
注2：诺德斯特龙（Nordstrom）是美国高档连锁百货店，经营的产品包括服装、饰品、包包、珠宝、化妆品、香水、家居用品等。
注3：布鲁明戴尔百货店，美国著名的百货商店品牌，成立于1861年，是美国梅西百货旗下的连锁商店。
注4：英国快速时尚品牌，属于英国最大的服装零售商Arcadia集团。
注5：一款智能的“全身镜”，即虚拟试衣镜。
注6：即Chief Executive Officer，执行总裁。
Imagine a fitting room with a “smart” mirror. It can suggest jeans to go with the red shirt you brought in. It snaps a video. It can allow you to compare the image side-by-side[并排式] with other colorful shirts you try on. It might even show you how the shirt will fit without having to change.
A handful of primarily[主要地] upscale[高级的] retailers， including Neiman Marcus注1 and Nordstrom注2， are testing versions[版本] of this high-tech fitting room. Experts say the masses[大众] will be able to try these innovations[创新] at more stores in the next few years. It will happen as the technology gets cheaper.
This trend is a way stores aim to catch up to online rivals like Amazon.com. Online， companies are able to gather information on which items shoppers browse[浏览]. The companies can use that to recommend other products. The new technology that enables physical stores[实体店] to collect much of the same data as online retailers raises privacy[隐私] questions. But executives[主管] say customers are offered[提供] a choice and the data is protected.
Stores are tapping into[挖掘] the significant role the often-forgotten fitting room can play in purchase decisions. While 36 percent of store browsers wind up[以……结束] buying something， 71 percent of shoppers who try on[试穿] clothes in the fitting room become buyers. That is according to Paco Underhill， a retail consultant[顾问]. Yet the typical fitting room isn’t always inviting[诱人的]. Only about 28 percent of shoppers even walk into a dressing room of a typical clothing chain， Underhill says.
“The dressing room experience in many places has been close to miserable[痛苦的]，” Underhill said. “There’s bad lighting. They’re dirty. And they have poor service.”
Some companies are working to change that impression. Later this year， Big Space， a technology company， plans to test a new mirror at an undisclosed[未泄露的] clothing chain. It will recognize the gender[性别] of a customer and make recommendations[推荐] based on that. Customers will also be able to request or purchase items directly from the mirror. They can even have them shipped.
Other technologies are already being tested in stores. In recent years， stores like Bloomingdale’s注3 and Top Shop注4 have tested tech that lets shoppers see how they look in an outfit[服装] without trying it on.
The patented[专利的] MemoryMirror注5 from a
Palo Alto， California-based company called MemoMi is one of the most advanced in this so-called virtual[虚拟的] dressing， a feature that’s expected to be tested in U.S. stores later this year. The mirror is outfitted with sensors[传感器]， setting off[引起] motiontriggered[由动作引起的] changes of clothing.
MemoryMirror uses pixel[像素] technology that captures[捕捉拍摄] even small details， such as a wrinkle[褶皱] on a skirt as it moves.
For those trying on the clothing， the mirror also doubles as a video camera， capturing a 360-degree view of what an outfit looks like and making side-by-side comparisons. Shoppers can then replay the video and share it with friends.
Earlier this year， Neiman Marcus rolled out[推出] the
MemoryMirror. And it’s already outside fitting rooms at three of its locations； in Walnut Creek， California； San Francisco and the Dallas suburb[郊区]. It’s even considered activating[激活] the “virtual dressing”feature[功能].
John Koryl is president of Neiman Marcus stores and online. He said that the mirror allows the retailer to have specific information regarding[关于] who tried on the dress and bought it for the first time. “shoppers must register[注册] for a unique account[账户] with their email address to use the mirror’s features. Any data collected on the mirror’s usage is anonymous[匿名的] and aggregated[合聚的].” he said.
This is how it works. A touch screen allows the
customer to flip through[浏览] a catalog and indicate[指出] which items he or she wants in the dressing room. The customer inputs their cellphone number and the sales clerk texts when the fitting room is ready. When the shopper walks in the dressing area， the mirror recognizes the items and displays[展示] the different clothing on the screen.
Minkoff said the two stores testing this technology are selling the clothing two and a half times faster than expected. And shoppers are increasing the number of items they buy by 30 percent. “We are creating dressing room therapy[疗法]，” said Uri Minkoff.
However， the new technology has some consumer
advocates[消费者保护团体] concerned.
“People love new technology as long as they are aware of what is happening to them and have control of their data.”said Nuala O’Connor. She is president & CEO注6 of nonprofit[非盈利的] Center for Democracy & Technology.
But some customers are embracing[拥抱] it. Wendy
DeWald， of San Francisco， spent $1000 on her first trip to the Rebecca Minkoff store. And she’s returned a few more times. She doesn’t mind sharing some of her personal data to get a better experience.
“I’m pretty blown away，” she said. “It’s a toy in the
dressing room. It enhances[提高] the experience.”
想象一下试衣间里配有一面智能镜子。当你拿着一件红色衬衣进去，镜子就会为你推荐几条牛仔裤作为搭配。镜子可以录制动态视频，在视频里你可以将不同颜色的衬衫搭配进行对比。你甚至无需更换衣服就可以得知衬衣是否合身。
包括内曼·马库斯和诺德斯特龙在内的几家主要高档零售商，正在测试不同版本的高科技试衣间。专家称，几年后，大众就能在更多的实体店体验到这种创新技术。随着科技成本的降低，智能试衣间将成为现实。
对于那些想要与亚马逊这一类网上零售商竞争的实体店来说，这一趋势将成为他们的出路。网上零售商能轻易地收集到顾客正在浏览的商品信息，然后根据这些信息向顾客推荐其他商品。这一新技术能让实体店收集到与网上零售商一样多的信息。同时，智能试衣间也与网上零售商一样存在隐私问题。但执行主管说，顾客们会有所选择且他们的所有信息都受到保护。
试衣间在人们的购买决策中扮演的至关重要的角色经常被人们遗忘，而现在实体商铺正在挖掘它这一无限潜力。销售顾问柏高·安德希尔表示，有36%的顾客在只看不试的情况下最终会买下商品，而71%顾客则会在试完衣服后才将其买下。然而，传统试衣间却不总是那么受欢迎。只有大约28%的顾客会走进一家典型的服装连锁店试衣间试衣，安德希尔说。
“很多店铺的试衣间体验都很糟糕，”安德希尔说。“光线暗淡、肮脏不堪，服务态度也很差。”
一些公司正努力改善顾客对试衣间的印象。一家叫“大空间”的技术公司计划今年年底在一家秘密服装连锁店测试一面新型镜子。这面镜子能够辨别出顾客的性别并以此为客人提供建议。顾客也能直接通过镜子挑选并购买商品，并送货到家。
其他相关的技术也已经在实体店展开测试。近年来，像布鲁明戴尔百货和尚品百货已经测试过一种技术，在无需试穿的情况下，也能让顾客看看衣服是否适合自己。
总部设在美国加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托市的MemoMi公司为其研制的记忆镜子申请了专利，这面镜子是在所谓的虚拟试衣领域里最为先进的技术之一。年底，这项技术有望在美国各大商店投入测试。这面镜子配备了传感器，顾客可以通过动作来激发传感器，达到换衣服的效果。
记忆镜子采用的成像技术能够捕捉到甚为细微的东西，例如裙子抖动时产生的褶皱。
当顾客试衣的时候，这面镜子也兼作一个摄像机，360度全方位捕捉顾客穿上衣服的样子，并将其不同的搭配进行对比。接着顾客可以重播这个短片或者分享给好友。
今年年初，内曼百货正式推出记忆镜子。你还可以在加州桃核溪市、旧金山和达拉斯郊区这三个地方体验这面记忆镜子。内曼百货甚至还考虑启用“虚拟试衣”的功能。
约翰·高丽是内曼百货实体店和网店的董事长。他说，有了这面智能镜子，服饰零售商就能掌握到更多详细信息，例如是谁试了这件服装以及是谁第一次买下它的。“顾客如果要使用这面镜子，就必须要用他们的邮箱注册一个独一无二的账户。所有收集起来的关于镜子使用的数据都是匿名处理并最后进行汇总的。”他说。
一起来看看镜子是怎么操作的。顾客可以在触摸屏浏览目录，并选择自己想要试穿的衣服。顾客输入自己的手机号码后，当试衣间准备好时，售货员就会通过短信告知顾客。当顾客走进更衣区，镜子就能识别出顾客已经挑选好的衣物并将其在屏幕上展示出来。
明科夫说，两间正在试用这一技术的商铺售出衣服的速度比预期快2.5倍。同时，顾客也比以往多买了30%的商品。“我们正在创造改良传统试衣间的方法，”他说。
然而，这一新技术也引起了消费者保护团体的担忧。
“只有当人们对一切正在发生的事情拥有知情权，并且能自己掌握其个人信息时，他们才会喜爱这一新技术。”非盈利组织民主与科技中心的董事长和执行总裁鲁娜·奥康纳如是说。
而一些顾客则对这项新技术持欢迎态度。来自旧金山的温迪·德瓦尔德在第一次去逛瑞贝卡·明可弗品牌店时就花了一千美元，并且后来她又去逛了几次。如果能获得更好的体验，她并不介意与别人分享一些她的个人数据。
“简直太棒了，”她说。“智能镜子就是试衣间里的一个玩具，它能带来更好的试衣体验。”
注1：尼曼，以经营奢侈品为主的美国连锁高端百货商店。
注2：诺德斯特龙（Nordstrom）是美国高档连锁百货店，经营的产品包括服装、饰品、包包、珠宝、化妆品、香水、家居用品等。
注3：布鲁明戴尔百货店，美国著名的百货商店品牌，成立于1861年，是美国梅西百货旗下的连锁商店。
注4：英国快速时尚品牌，属于英国最大的服装零售商Arcadia集团。
注5：一款智能的“全身镜”，即虚拟试衣镜。
注6：即Chief Executive Officer，执行总裁。