As a parent, there have been times when clothes shopping for children is time-consuming. During the festive season, trying to understand whether clothes, which are intended for gifts, fit can be even harder. It is often worse when you have the children with you. After all, not every child enjoys clothes shopping.
In the future, things could get a lot easier. Makip, the company behind Unisize is expanding its services in the UK after the successful launch of Unisize in 2023. It launched Unisize KIDS in the UK in March 2024. It signed its first customer, Batch LDN, in August for adult clothing. In the future, Makip will continue to develop features to make the virtual try-on experience even more convenient and user-friendly.
It recently surveyed parents to get customer feedback in Japan on what difference it is making. It is already being used by over 300 eCommerce stores in Japan. The technology is already configured for popular global brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Lacoste.
UNISIZE KIDS – a better way to shop?
The survey was delivered through Unisize KIDS, the sizing technology that many online stores in Japan are using for children from 3 through 15 years old. Unisize simplifies the online purchasing process for parents and guardians of children. Thus enabling them to save time and make more successful purchases. For vendors, there are likely to be fewer returns.
Integration of Unisize for Kids can be achieved in as little as one month. Delivering remarkable results such as a 20% reduction in clothing return rates and a 2.5 times increase in purchase rates. The results will be pleasing for Makip and hold some hope for parents in the UK as more online vendors accelerate the adoption of sizing recommendation engines. Unisize is not the only product on the market.
After using the size recommendation engine, 95% of users found it helpful for choosing children’s clothing. With 97% wanting to use it again. For vendors, 94.14% either agreed or strongly agreed that the size recommendation engine increased willingness to purchase.
Shingo Tsukamoto, President of sizing technology specialist Makip, explained, “As a parent myself, I can understand the challenges other parents face when it comes to buying children’s clothing online. But now, with Unisize KIDS, retail providers can alleviate these concerns by using technology that considers the child’s growth trajectory over the next 1-2 years. This feature ensures parents can confidently select the perfect fit for their children, eliminating the guesswork associated with online shopping.”
Meeting a market need
According to the EU CBI, the European childrenswear market represents 13.3% of the overall appeal market in Europe. In 2024, the children’s apparel market in the United Kingdom amounts to US$13.19bn. It is also set to grow at a CAGR of 3.15% (source: Statista). Of note is that the apparel market is also witnessing a rise in demand for sustainable and ethically produced clothing.
For parents using online stores, it is often easier to find the information they require about sourcing information. Coupled with size recommendation engines, stores will meet a growing demand for clothes online.
Another question asked by Unisize in the survey was about the common concerns of choosing sizes that account for growth. Responses from users included, “I could imagine the size for next year and choose accordingly”, “I could estimate the fit even without the child present!” and “It’s great that the tool references growth curves to provide accurate size recommendations.”
Shoppers also saw benefits from measuring and then applying those measurements to the sizing engine. Parents were able to see whether the sleeves were too long and whether the physique of their child matched the clothes selected. Historic information is also available for users enabling them to compare to previous purchases.
The integration of Unisize for Kids can be completed in a few weeks. Makip believes that once installed, it can reduce returns by as much as 20% and increase purchase rates by 2.5 times.
Tsukamoto added, “With Unisize for Kids, we’re not just changing the way parents shop for their children; we’re empowering them with the confidence to make informed decisions, ensuring a stress-free shopping experience for the entire family.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
For many, buying clothes and school uniforms can be time-consuming. Fashion vendors need to consider leveraging size recommendation technology to reap the benefits before their competitors. The advantage of Unisize is that it already has a mature market to fall back on where it has proven the technology again and again. The customer satisfaction statistics are also impressive.
The caveat is will the UK market take to the technology in the same way that the Japanese market has? It is notable that since Enterprise Times started covering Makip, barely a week has passed without adding yet another fashion commerce site to its portfolio.
