A group of developers from the London College of Fashion and the University of Surrey have partnered up to create software that can turn your smartphone camera or webcam into a virtual tape measure. The software requires the shopper to take a photograph in their underwear and enter their height; the result is a 3D model of their body shape and size, as well as accurate measurements of their waist, hips, chest, and more. From these measurements the user will be able to make an informed decision as to which dress size will fit them best.

It has been reported that 60% of clothes bought over the Internet are sent back – usually due to a sizing issue. The system hopes to reduce this percentage and in turn, to save millions of pounds in postage fees for shoppers and retailers every year.

However, don’t be expecting to throw away your tape measure anytime soon – the launch of this technology isn’t expected for another 2 years.

This highlights the growing trend in consumers looking to social networking sites for recommendations on luxury products before they buy, providing a huge marketing opportunity for luxury retailers. Facebook users are also becoming more in tune with their peers’ brand preferences due to brand fan pages and the famous ‘Like’ button.

The latest Facebook development hoping to give ecommerce another push is the new ‘Want’ button, which is part of the ‘Collections’ development currently in testing. This new feature allows users to create a wishlist of products from multiple brands and share this with their peers.

This particular development could help Facebook become a bigger player in online commerce by directing some of their 1bn users to online stores in order to generate sales for participating brands.

The new feature will gradually be offered to the US, with several retailers joining Facebook for the test, including Michael Kors and Victoria’s Secret.

Garment visualisation technology is being developed by a number of companies including Mipso, Fitiquette and FitsMe, who are offering their technology to online retailers looking to offer the most revolutionised shopping experience to date. With 12% of consumers reporting that they rarely purchase online due to sizing concerns, it’s obvious that this downfall needed to be addressed.

Heikki Haldre, the CEO of Fits.me, suggested that GVT can increase a retailer’s bottom line by removing the risk of customers receiving and returning an ill-fitting garment. Fits.me allows the customer to adjust their weight, height, waistline and proportions to produce an online representation of their exact body shape. Once the customer has created their virtual body, they are able to try a garment of their choice on in any available size to see which fits best.

With retailers such as Barbour, Zenga and Gilt already buying into this technology, others are bound to follow – making this an online revolution we can’t ignore.

In the competitive world of fashion ecommerce making your website engaging matters – a lot. After all, fashion shopping is an aesthetic experience and a major part of many consumers’ lives, recession or no recession.

Although ecommerce is transforming the face of retailing, Experian’s report earlier this year confirmed that whilst most research happens online, in fact 9 out of 10 purchases still happen on the high street. Meanwhile, new research into shopping trends reveals that 45% of consumers say they will ‘always love going to the shops, no matter what new technologies are available’.

It follows that fashion ecommerce sites that enable customers to explore the latest style trends just as they would in store are set to have the edge. Visual merchandising and a personalised approach are therefore vital for traffic, conversions and ultimately sales.

Bringing the changing room to the living room with our online outfit builder

We’ve just launched a new website for Mimi Noor. For fashionistas seeking out hot new denim trends, Mimi’s boutique in Bath is known as the place to go. The challenge was to develop a site that offers her online customers the same level of personal service and fashion expertise they would experience in store. At the same time we needed to develop back end fashion ecommerce functionality that would make online shopping easy and fun.

The defining feature is an outfit builder focused around the key looks Mimi recommends for each season. Customers can choose their jeans by brand, colour style and size and then mix them up with tops to create their ideal outfit – just as they would do on the high street and all without leaving the main product page.

Customising Magento to deliver more online

Achieving the sophistication Mimi needs demanded heavy Magento customisation. When you fully recognise the platform’s capabilities and have an intimate knowledge of the system it’s possible to manipulate the platform any which way you choose. As a retailer, that gives you the freedom to find original ways to grab your customers’ attention and enhance your online service. In practical terms, we’ve also given Mimi the ability to update the site quickly and easily so that she can keep her looks up to date without needing any external help.

Check the website out for a feel of what Magento can do. We wish Mimi every success with her new online venture!

Access mass markets easily with intelligent Magento integration

Thanks to the flexible, scalable nature of Magento, retailers operating on the platform can now penetrate the world’s largest online marketplaces to boost profits and grow their following.

eBay acquired 100% of Magento in 2011, with a plethora of extensions hitting the market to boost compatibility. The others are following suit in recognition of the platform’s popularity.

Roll out your fashion ecommerce brand to unlimited markets

In our experience maximising these sales channels involves some strategic thinking. One of the issues we address with clients is the risk of devaluing high end brands by engaging with what are widely regarded as budget bargain channels.

Often the solution is to treat the online trio not as a core sales strategy but as a valuable complement to your central business plan. Clearance sales, one-off budget lines and seasonal or occasion-led offers can all tap into a whole new customer base without compromising your overall branding – since the market profile is essentially new and different. If handled carefully, engaging with ecommerce’s biggest players can open up a new world of possibilities.

Integrate your Magento site with the online market leaders

Grabbing these opportunities requires expertise in Magento and how to set up the platform. We’ve been working with clients to tie up their sites with the biggest internet retailers and achieve maximum merchandising with minimum headaches. Of particular value is the ability to centralise stock control  – eliminating the complexities of managing supply chains via multiple outlets.

++ Technical Note ++

We have been using the M2E Pro module since it was first released as well as Gomage Feed Pro to connect to Amazon Marketplace and others. Currently we’re working on our first integration to Play.com. The average time to set these up including creating eBay store fronts and appropriate brand assets is around 40-60 hours of design and development.

Understanding the Pinterest community: motivation, media and money

For the fashion industry this platform’s image-centric ethos makes it an obvious promotional channel and the user stats certainly present a relevant picture. 80% are female, 60% have a college degree, 30% are aged between 25 and 34 and most have an income of between $25K and $75K. What’s more, 8 out of 10 pins are repins shared between users.

That means Pinterest users are young, female, educated, financially solvent and in touch with each other. Consider as well that the average conversion on is worth $80 – twice that of Twitter or Facebook. These are stats well worth taking notice of.

Keeping your site up to scratch to optimise Pinterest conversions

Although the platform’s user profile is exciting the jury’s still out on conversion rates. If you’re experiencing high traffic but low conversions with Pinterest you might want to take a look at your end site experience. Is it delivering what visitors expect?

Common cart abandonment triggers include slow performance, stodgy navigation and obscure shipment rates. Make sure your site guides visitors clearly, responds to their needs comprehensively and is transparent about delivery costs before the point of purchase if you want to increase your chances of revenue growth.

Integrate Pinterest with your social media strategy

Pinterest isn’t the first curation platform to have come along. As early as 2006 David Galbraith’s Wists was paving the way. But by Galbraith’s own admission the technology lacked sophistication and was ahead of it’s time – to it’s own detriment, as it turned out.

That’s partly because (as Galbraith says) social media back then wasn’t advanced enough to leverage the technology into widespread success. But in today’s digital space there’s huge potential. So when you’re marketing your site with Pinterest make sure you’ve got it all tied up with your other channels and you’re being clever about that integration.

MODA is enjoying growing status as fashion ecommerce pioneers. We’re on the lookout for web designers with an unconventional outlook to join our team.

Tired of run of the mill web design jobs? We could be your new home

If your particular bag is for the irreverent, the contemporary and the anarchic, there could be an opportunity to flex your design muscles at MODA. We’re looking for a designer with the conviction to reach beyond contemporary and challenge the norm.

Get on board with leading fashion ecommerce clients

MODA means more than web development. Our clients enjoy a full strategic service specialised within the fashion ecommerce space. That’s why our portfolio boasts names like Mary Portas, Mimi Noor, The Designer Lookbook, Kriss Soonik and The Lingerie Collective. That’s a portfolio you could become a part of, with the thrill of putting your own stamp on the leading fashion brands of tomorrow.

Our credentials extend to partnerships with Magento, Touch Retail, Rackspace, TNT Fashion and logistics giants SEKO. Together we offer a potent service that brings fashion brands to life online and backs that up with careful strategic delivery to achieve their business goals.

Have we got your attention? Contact Michael or James and make our jaws drop with your portfolio. Let’s see where you can take us…

After the very first pitch we ever made the client turned round and said “This is great I love it. Who will do the P&P and logistics?” Our response was something along the lines that we had assumed the warehouse they owned that shipped £11m of trousers a year would be able to cope. However to them it was a completely different business and as a result we set out to find someone who could partner with us to provide this service.

That’s why we’re delighted to announce a new partnership with SEKO. For fashion retailers looking to outsource, integrating SEKO’s fashion logistics with MODA’s skills in the digital space makes for a profitable ecommerce strategy.

Intelligent supply chains from the sample room to the point of sale

Optimising fashion ecommerce revenue means bringing products to market at exactly the right time. SEKO’s cutting edge technology enables fashion retailers to outsource their supply chain with total reliability and visibility.

From trend board to shop floor, SEKO’s web based customisable software enables fashion brands to track every milestone along the critical path – from sampling and production to testing, shipping and purchase order activity. It’s a streamlined, cost-effective solution which is now offered preferentially to MODA clients as part of our digital strategy service.

Cutting edge logistics with a global reach

As well as advanced supply chain technology, MODA’s client base will enjoy a global fulfilment network, warehouse locations spanning 40 countries, customisable end-user delivery and sophisticated track and trace technology. Fashion retailers can experience all the revenue benefits of streamlined outsourcing, economies of scale and the capacity to break into new global markets.

If you’re interested in sophisticated fashion ecommerce backed up by front edge global solutions contact us today: we’re geared up to explore all the options with you.

Get set for success with global fashion ecommerce expertise

In Russia an underdeveloped travel infrastructure and low credit card use are both challenges to rapid online delivery. But with the right support profits are ripe for the picking. You’ll find that support at MODA.

We have the global fashion ecommerce know-how to plan effective market entry for your brand. We’ll set you up with specialist Russian internet translators and cross-platform language functionality. Our capacity to integrate international payment with stock control and reporting creates easy facilities for shoppers and keeps your finger on the pulse of your overseas business.

Manage your critical paths with supply chain solutions

MODA’s partnership with SEKO logistics equips us to deliver intelligent supply chain, warehousing, shipment and overland solutions to overcome infrastructure challenges. Not only can we help you break into Russia, we’re fully versed in the Belarussan and Ukrainian markets too, helping you cash in on the Eastern European fashion ecommerce boom.

Take a tip from an old Russian proverb: “Аво́сь да как-нибу́дь до добра́ не доведу́т” (that means “maybe and somehow don’t do any good”). If you want to profit from the world’s fastest growing fashion ecommerce economy you need to make sure you’ve got all the bases covered. Contact us today and we’ll show you how it’s done.

Setting the scene with fashion ecommerce stats

Conlumino’s Neil Saunders set the scene with his keynote analysis of how the economic climate will affect online business. Fashion ecommerce is one of the few industries set to grow in the near future – by 2.2% in 2012 alone. Multi-channel is vital, he said, but this must be balanced with keeping the sales loop simple for consumers.

SEO traffic was a subject firmly on the table too, with Leapfrog’s Ben Potter emphasising the importance of genuine relationships over paying lip service to Google. His focus on content was echoed by Publicis Blueprint’s Joanna Cotton and Mary Gallop, who championed content marketing as promoting engagement, trust and loyalty in a way that advertising alone cannot.

Getting to grips with social media trends

Several seminars on social media trends separated fact from fantasy and highlighted these golden rules:

• Obey the digital chatter principles: Listen, interpret and react
• Be prepared for disaster recovery: act quickly to avoid damage
• Chose the channels that work for you: you don’t have to be everywhere all the time
• Follow social media karma: know the conventions and don’t offend
• Focus on content and quality of followers, not numbers for their own sake

Top tips for driving conversion rates

We loved a fresh take on driving conversion rates with email marketing from Soleberry’s Gabrielle Hase. Her tips? Go mobile, stay personal, test channel behaviour and make it entertaining. Peerius’s Dan Hansen highlighted the role of personalisation in driving AOVs by 45% and click-throughs by 18%. Plus Sticky Content’s Catherine Toole showed how one internet brand increased conversion rates by 41% simply by making their copy more personal, increasing calls to action and addressing trust.

All in all, a great conference buzzing with fashion ecommerce know-how. See you there next year!