Here's an interesting new policy we'd love to see in the States: The Japanese clothing store GU recently announced that customers can try on up to three pieces of clothing and then leave the store to test-drive clothes out "in the wild," provided they return before the end of the day. Though it may seem like sanctioned shoplifting, the policy actually makes a lot of sense — the brand, owned by retail chain Uniqlo, is trying to combat the phenomenon of shoppers buying something, taking it home, changing their minds, and returning the item.
Though GU's policy is groundbreaking for a retail store, it's not so revolutionary for online stores. Many online-only clothing and accessory companies already use the "test it out for a while before you buy it" approach. Eyewear brand Warby Parker, for example, sends customers five pairs of glasses and gives them five days to choose which one(s) to keep. Customers will often post pictures of themselves in different pairs of glasses to social media, asking their friends to decide which pair looks the best. That results in satisfied customers — and free publicity for the brand.
GU's new idea is not only smart for shoppers, but smart for the company. Reducing the number of returns saves time and money. And the store, which limits the sanctioned-shoplifting policy to 30 people per day at just one location for now, encourages potential buyers to take note of how the clothes feel on, to make sure it's a good fit.
And not only clothing and glasses retailers are giving customers more pre-purchase time with. Lingerie company True&Co helps take some of the anxiety out of bra shopping by sending a customer five bras and letting her try them out for five days before deciding whether or not to buy.
"We know that women hate going into a fitting room, being sized up by a stranger and then standing under weird lighting while trying to find a bra that not only fits well but makes them look great. By giving women an alternative to this experience, we are saving them valuable time as well," True&Co CEO Michelle Lam explains to Yahoo Shine. "Trying on at home also gives women the chance to try on the bras with any item in their closet and to quickly determine which bras will work with what apparel. We have women who write us novels about their bras and their experience with their home try-on. The home try-on model has completely changed how we try new apparel."
And for customers who aren't sure about their size but don't want to be fitted by a stranger, the retailer has developed an online test where users can plug in information about their size and shape in order to get a more accurate fit. The company also has free shipping, which makes it easier for customers who want to send something back but don't want to have to pay in order to do so. Most customers, says True&Co, take only three of the five days make a decision about the purchase.
Part of the genius of GU's new approach to shopping is that its taking an idea from online retailers and implementing it in a brick-and-mortar store. Many American chains, dealing with the effects of "showrooming" (where customers take smartphone pictures of clothes in a store, then go home and look for a better deal online), are focusing on in-store perks to make shopping part of a bigger, more interesting experience. Urban Outfitters recently expanded its flagship New York City location to include a record store, hair salon, and coffee shop in order to keep customers happy — and, of course, spending money. Whether the GU approach will make it across the Pacific, though, remains to be seen.
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