H&M Group is working to address the age-old problem of being trapped in a fitting room in need of a garment in a different size. Instead of stepping out to find a sales associate, consumers shopping the Swedish retailer’s Cos brand stores can now make the request through the fitting room’s smart mirror.
The brand debuted mirror-enabled retail technology tools at its Beverly Hills store last month to improve the in-store browsing and buying experience.
Mirrors in the fitting rooms and throughout the store feature garment recognition technology. With the ability to pinpoint product identity, size and color, the mirrors provide personalized styling recommendations as well as information about available colors and sizes. Smart mirrors on the showroom floor can be used for on-the-spot virtual try-on.
“Our ambition is to pilot new technologies that allow us to meet and exceed our customers’ in-store shopping expectations,” Cos managing director Lea Rytz Goldman said. “With Cos Beverly Hills, we have seen first-hand how our customer experience can be elevated with tech enhancements.” The Los Angeles retail store pilot will inform a broader U.S. rollout this year.
Additionally, Cos shoppers will be able to check out anywhere in store, either through a sales advisor who scans items and takes payment through a smart device—or through one of the smart mirrors. Customers can even transact and share items to social media using the high-tech fitting room mirrors.
“This initiative is a natural next step in H&M Group’s long history of innovation, where we use technology to discover new ways of enjoying fashion,” chief technology officer Alan Boehme said. “Throughout 2022 we will test a new frictionless and personalized shopping experience—from the fitting room to checkout.”
The project underscores H&M Group’s ongoing mission to promote an omnichannel shopping experience. Earlier this spring, the company announced an online marketplace selling third-party brands alongside products from its portfolio, including & Other Stories, H&M, Cos and Arket.
On an earnings call in January, the company said it plans close 240 stores and open 120 in strategic markets while focusing on digital by expanding online into Belarus, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Peru and Ukraine.