Similarly tempted by AI's promise, Zalando acquired Swiss start-up Fision in 2020, one of a raft of companies working in the size-prediction niche. — Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
PARIS: From sizing advice via selfies to robot stock-takers, online shopping behemoths have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence (AI) in a bid to stem the flow of bad-for-business clothes returns.
Up to 30 percent of fashion items bought on the internet are sent back, according to a late 2024 study by consulting firm McKinsey and the Business of Fashion website – not least because "clients are buying several sizes or styles and returning most of them".
