When we purchase something to wear on the Internet, what the most unsatisfied thing is that we cannot try it on before making an order. Japanese major clothing e-retailers usually accept returning item even after the item has been tried on. This helps to minimize the disadvantage of e-commerce services, and to make up a difference with convenience that face-to-face retailers may give you. Sure, I agree that it could be well work for ready-made items retailers, but…is that all? Anything else?
Odawara-headquartered nationwide optical retail chain Megane Super[J] added a virtual fitting feature on the company’s e-commerce site, which allows you to feel as though you could try your choice of glasses on with a 3D animation overlapped with your portrait. You can experience the feature at the chain’s real store in Akihabara as well, and it makes you possible to take your favorite pair of glasses from the variety of 200 different lens frames and 15 colors of lens, and to purchase it on the web.
The virtual fitting feature uses a brand new technology developed by Tokyo-based tech start-up Motion Portrait. In order to tell the power of your glasses to the optician, you’ll be requested to take either one from the following options:
- sending the optician a prescription prepared by your ocular.
- ordering glasses having the same lens power with that you’ve previously purchased at any store of the chain
- entering your contact lens power on the web, and the optician will calculate your glasses lens power from it.
If you have no way to find how strong your glasses power is, the optician’s chain highly recommends you to drop by any of its 430 stores located nationwide for a consultation.
The following video shows you a presentation made by Motion Portrait at Infinity Ventures Summit 2009 Spring. The company won the top prize at the event. (See also Serkan Toto’s story on this for TechCrunch.)
Via Impress Internet Watch[J]
Masaru IKEDA