US' NetVirta's Verifyt partners with Merrell for show advisor app

Known for its precision, user-friendly interface and scanning speed, Verifyt provides Merrell's consumers seeking seamless ways to enjoy the simple power of the outdoors with an easy, gamified AR powered 3D experience to find the correct shoe, size and fit. Taking less than a minute to complete the scan of their feet, the Verifyt technology generates an accurate personalised size recommendation, NetVirta said in a media release.

"At Merrell, we are constantly looking for new ways to improve the consumer experience in the outdoors," said Janice Tennant, chief marketing officer, Merrell. "Fit of shoes is a major pain point for many consumers especially while shopping and it is the reason why piloting this emerging technology with NetVirta in our mobile app felt like a good partnership."

"Our smartphone 3D scanning technology meets the increasing demands of footwear and apparel retailers to find ways to help their customers shop online with confidence, while reducing returns. Our technology was originally built for the medical industry, and meets the demands retailers have for accuracy, speed and ease of use," said Jeff Chen, CEO and co-founder, NetVirta.

Verifyt aims to address an issue that has plagued online shopping since the inception of e-commerce, returns due to poor fit. Industry reports show that of footwear purchased online, returns average between 35-40 per cent, with an estimated 72 per cent ascribed to bad fit. This industry-wide issue is a detriment to brands' bottom-lines and impacts the environment.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)