MySizeID: Reducing the environmental & economic costs of online returns

Thanks to the rise of e-commerce, it's now easier than ever before to buy new clothes. To further entice consumers to shop online, many fashion retailers offer free shipping on purchases over a specific price and hassle-free returns. Online sales are increasing around the world - but so are return rates. While most consumers only see the benefits of free delivery, the truth remains that high-volume returns have an economical, environmental and social impact.

Did you know that on average, 40 percent of online purchases are returned compared to 10 percent of in-store purchases? What's more, 70 percent of these returns are due to the garment not fitting correctly or as expected. It's estimated that 25 percent of all retailer's returns are sent to landfills every year, equal to more than 5 billion pounds of goods. Even returns which are not immediately discarded eventually end up in landfills after passing through a network of resellers. In addition, transportation linked to return shipping causes increased CO2 emissions. Approximately 15M metric tons of CO2 emissions are emitted by vehicles transporting online returns each year, generating more waste and causing harm to the environment.

In a bid to vastly reduce online returns, MySize has developed an innovative solution which accurately matches consumer's personal measurements with brands size charts. Developed by fashion experts, pattern makers, retailers, data scientists and experienced algorithm experts, MySizeID is a fashion measurement tool. Divided into three main elements, MySizeID aggregates and analyses data from several sources and uses personal size measurements to create an accurate and secure sizing profile for consumers. Through the app, consumers can use their smartphone's motion sensors to take their measurements and build a full body profile. These measurements are then combined with data from different anthropometric databases to create a detailed sizing profile. Retailers can use the dashboard, MyDash to seamlessly input size charts for all their garments and connect it to their PLM or inventory system. Using the MySizeID widget, consumers can view accurate size recommendations from any online retailer, thereby reducing the possibilities of ordering the wrong size.

"Accurately and successfully matching a brand’s apparel items to a shopper’s personalized measurements using MySizeID can significantly reduce returns and advance the goals of sustainability," says Billy Pardo, COO of MySize. "By simply reducing online returns, carbon dioxide emissions from “Free Returns” will similarly be reduced...During a two-month pilot with Boyish Jeans, a sustainable women’s denim line, MySizeID was deployed and made size recommendations to the brand’s customers, resulting in a 31 percent reduction in returns."

By implementing MySizeID, retailers can reduce returns by more than 30 percent, leading to an annual global reduction of 1.8M metric tons of CO2 emissions. Using MySizeID can help retailers generate less waste and emissions, increase consumer satisfaction and fewer online returns, making the fashion industry a little more sustainable.