In World 235 in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, leaving people to turn to online shopping. As a result, online returns were at an all-time high. To combat this, a fairly well-known retailer decided to open “digital dressing rooms,” which implement augmented reality to allow people to “try on” garments before purchasing them online to see how they look on that customer’s body.
This tool was immediately well received by customers, and it soon became implemented by other retailers as well. Amazon promptly introduced its own version of the tool. With a way to try these garments on before buying, e-commerce returns plummeted and waste was reduced.
What if …
there was a way to try on clothes before ordering online?
Issue targeted:
Waste, returns
Inspiration:
digital fashion, augmented reality
This World was contributed by Vilette (located in Massachusetts, USA) using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.
Does this World remind you of something?
I am keen to hear about any historical or contemporary real-world examples – whether individual practices, subcultures or mainstream activities – that this fiction brings to mind.
Please share any such examples using this form. Thank you!