Very few online clothing stores provide a size chart for the items they sell on their website. Even then, the consumer must constantly measure themselves to see whether or not the item will fit. For those online clothing stores that don't provide a size chart, the buyer is relegated to the generic "Medium shirt, size 10 shoe, and size 7 dress". Not every brand has the same definition of a medium shirt, for example. How is the online shopper supposed to know if they should purchase a medium, or go with a small, or even a large? I've purchased extra large shirts made by the same brand, and they even fit differently, same goes for shoes.
Not being sure of accurate sizing is the number one reason why consumers don't buy clothing online. Yet Americans are still spending over $20 billion dollars a year shopping for apparel online. If consumers can make more confident decisions when buying online, returns will decrease, and companies will not have to increase their prices due to repacking fees.
I have purchased numerous apparel items via the internet over the past few years. I find myself returning more items due to incorrect sizing. There's nothing worse than having to wait a week or more to receive a pair of size 12 shoes, or an extra large shirt, which are usually the sizes that fit me best. When I finally receive my size 12 shoes, and realize they don't fit, I have to pay to send the shoes back. I then have to decide whether or not I should gamble by purchasing a different size and hoping they fit the next time. Chances are I'm better off just going to the shoe store and trying on some shoes that I know will fit. However, buying online is supposedly more convenient, doesn't seem like it to me anymore.
There's a couple sites out there that will allow users to enter specific body measurements so that an online shopper can get the best fitting clothing for their body.
Getmysize.com is one particular site that will accomplish this difficult task. Some eBay sellers will provide size charts for users to do a comparison as well.
http://www.getmysize.com
No comments:
Post a Comment