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Everyone who's ever shopped online knows that a size eight is not always a size eight. In fact, Racked has compiled hard data about vanity sizing and how it can make shopping really confusing. This is where NYC-based startup Clothes Horse sees a business opportunity. According to Fast Company, Clothes Horse works with retailers to suggest a size for customers via a survey that promises a "perfect fit in 20 seconds," with Clothes Horse earning a "flat percentage of the incremental revenue generated by its technology."
To figure out what size customers should add to their shopping basket, the survey analyzes height, weight, bra size, and the brand and size of its best-fitting wardrobe staples. The Clothes Horse database includes sizing info for over 600 brands, and Clothes Horse can also tell shoppers how a particular product will fit them. According to company CEO and co-founder David Whittemore, online shoppers are interested in Clothes Horse's sizing help. Whittemore told Fast Company that on product pages with the technology installed, 15% to 20% of shoppers click the survey and that on average, Clothes Horse boosts sales by 8% and reduces returns by 9.5%.
· "What Size Am I?": Clothes Horse Takes On Fashion's Most Awkward Question [Fast Company]
· Vanity Sizing: Compare These 25 Retailers at Your Local Mall [Racked]
· Clothes Horse [Official Site]