MyBestFit Targets Research, Sales
Since its debut in September, the My-BestFit body-scanner kiosk has scanned nearly 15,000 women from its perch at the King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia. It is currently the only MyBestFit scanner in operation, but plans call for as many as 15 locations in malls across the country to launch by the end of the year—and this time, men will be part of the equation. The expansion into new markets and the addition of men have the potential to give MyBestFit’s data new importance.
The scanner, developed by Nova Scotia, Canada–based Unique Solutions Inc., uses millimeter-wave technology—the same kind used in airport security screenings—to determine a person’s body measurements and pulls from a list of participating brands to create a shopping list of garments that may best suit a person’s unique body type. The kiosks, which debuted with the women’s denim category and have since added men’s denim and men’s and women’s casual bottoms, will eventually be able to recommend garments across all categories for men and women, said Tanya Shaw, Unique Solutions’ president. The scanner in King of Prussia began scanning men in February.
As new kiosks come online and begin scanning men and women for a wide variety of apparel categories, the data the scanners collect could make MyBestFit an important new sales and research resource for brands and retailers, Shaw said. The scanners have the potential to give brands and retailers a clear view of the shoppers in their malls and compile reports on gender, ethnicity, age, shopping budget and, perhaps most importantly, size.
“Brands don’t know when they didn’t make a sale because they didn’t have the right size in stock,” Shaw said. “They also don’t necessarily know that their sizing could be limiting the consumers that fit into their garments. For some brands, by adjusting their grading, they can accommodate a wider range [of body types and sizes].” The data can potentially also help new brands develop fits that will flatter a wide variety of shoppers, Shaw said.
The company, which envisions operating 400 MyBestFit kiosks across the country over the next three years, is gearing up for its first major expansion.
Shaw said the bulk of the 15 new scanners planned for 2011 will be clustered in Philadelphia, south New Jersey and Delaware, with five new scanners slated for West Coast locations in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. “We are in the process of finalizing the locations and negotiating with various properties,” Shaw said. A license with a Chinese company will take the MyBestFit concept to China this fall.
As in its first location, the recommended brands and styles at each kiosk will be limited to what is available in each individual mall. Shaw said 45 different brands have opted into the MyBestFit scanner at the King of Prussia location and expects to grow participation in the new scanners to approximately 200 widely distributed brands by December. —Erin Barajas
