En-mass retailers are promoting more size-inclusive campaigns; however, are brands really meeting body-inclusivity goals?
Coresight Research estimates the extended-size market for women in the U.S. will grow to $32.3 billion, representing roughly 20.7% of the total women’s apparel market. With social media users and influencers blazing a path forward with #bodyinclusivity campaigns, many retailers have grown their brands to include plus-size and ‘curvy’ lines. While the aim of providing inclusive sizing is no doubt a worthy endeavor both for customers and the bottom line, are there really options for every body type?
Finding the right size has become increasingly confusing thanks to constantly varying sizing standards both across different brands and within the same brands. Customers, especially those looking for inclusive sizing, experience frustration, and finding the right size can feel like an impossible task. As a result, the solution of choice is often ordering five of the same item in different sizes and only keeping one, resulting in a returns nightmare for both customers and retailers.
Returns are at an all-time high (with total returns in 2021 accounting for a loss in excess of $400 million in the US alone), and a huge amount of clothing is wasted. Only 48% of returns can be resold at full price, and each year about 5 billion pounds of returns end up in landfill.
Body shape data is the answer to this growing problem. The three key things customers look for when buying new clothes are:
- The shape and pattern
- The feel of the fabric
- The size and fit of the item
Retailers that utilize body shape data can produce and design collections and ranges with their customer base in mind. Accurate data about their customers’ body shapes and sizes will enable businesses to turn the focus on their customers. Body shape data can reduce waste of unbought clothing sizes and, in turn, ensure often-requested sizes are never out of stock.
Read our E-Book to learn more about how body shape data can change the face of fashion.
