Dillard’s shoppers have high-tech way to fit their kids’ feet.
The department store chain has added foot-scanning technology by children’s footwear brand Stride Rite to 10 locations, the companies announced Tuesday.
Fit Zone streamlines the footwear fitting process, Stride Rite said, and is capable of outputting fit recommendations in just moments, a crucial selling point for parents and caregivers toting restless young children.
“Redefining the future of the footwear fitting process, the Fit Zone by Stride Rite is a revolutionary scanner that is capable of measuring children’s feet in under 5 seconds by producing an accurate 3D model to ensure all little walkers are fit with the correct size shoe,” Stride Rite said.
The addition of Fit Zone to the Dillard’s in-store experience should help build an even greater sense of trust between the brands and the parents and children that patronize them, according to Stride Rite. A customer testimonial on Stride Rite’s website describes Fit Zone as something that kids “gravitate” toward naturally, which could encourage traffic to Dillard’s stores.
“We are pleased to join our long-time partner Stride Rite to launch the Fit Zone by Stride Rite,” Dillard’s president Alex Dillard said. “This is yet another way we are providing premium customer experiences at Dillard’s—even for our youngest customers.”
The technology will be deployed at Dillard’s locations in Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
According to the company’s current records, Stride Rite products can also be found at Nordstrom, Von Maur and through a variety of independent family and children’s shoe stores and boutiques—though Fit Zone is only available in certain locations.
Fit Zone works in three steps. First, consumers visit with the resident “fit expert” and discuss their specific needs. Then, a quick scan collects 10 data points from the child’s foot. A fit expert then uses the information collected over the first two steps to make a recommendation for the best fit and style to suit the child’s needs.
Stride Rite is a division of Vida Shoes International Inc., which owns children’s retailers Carter’s and OshKosh B’Gosh.
Stride Rite isn’t the only company innovating in the children’s foot-scanning space. In December, Jenzy raised a $1.25 million seed round to enhance a smartphone app that captures foot measurements and shows parents the brands, styles and sizes that will best fit their kid’s feet.