OptiTex at Stitch World Magazine

March 2011

Consumers want to be empowered by technology. They demand the ability to not simply purchase an item that they see forsale online, but first to select the style, color, fabric and other characteristics and then see their planned purchase on a full 3D model as if they themselves are wearing it. 

According to Forrester Research, clothing is the largest individual component of online retail sales accounting for nearly 40% in the US. The online clothing market was $27 billion in 2009, increasing 17% from 2008. It is expected to exceed $50 billion within the next three years.

Challenges
An online retailer's major challenge is to improve the shopping experience and minimize the gap between buying online and in the physical real site, where the customer can touch, feel and try on the garment before deciding to buy, resulting in poor online conversion rates, significant lost sales, reduced average order sizes and product returns up to 40%.