Body scanner Targets the perfect dress size

TERESA OOI
The Australian
April 19, 2012

Alvanon is revolutionising the fashion industry by using a body scan and in-depth analysis to give the best fit to individual customers.

Alvanon 3D scanning machine which gives an accurate measurement of a person’s size and fit.

THESE days it’s simply not enough to use a measuring tape to get an accurate dress size.

Target is now investing in a $1 million project to digitally size up a person’s fit with an imported body scanner, which has been used by Marks and Spencer in Britain and Levi’s in the US.

Target chief executive Dene Rogers hopes sharper sizing and an impeccable fit will generate more internet sales and cut back on the 30 per cent returns from online apparel buys.

The high rate of return from those who buy clothes online and find they do not fit comes at a huge cost to retailers, and Target is no exception.

And since there has not been a national sizing study in Australia for some time, Target has decided to take things in hand.
The Alvanon body-scanning machine will arrive in Sydney from Hong Kong next week. It gives a perfect measurement of a person’s size and shape in 3D in just 10 to 12 seconds.

“You just step into this transparent scanner and you will be able to get your exact measurements in a few seconds,” Mr Rogers said.

Over the next five weeks, the machine will travel to different Target stores in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and scan up to 20,000 men and women.

Their measurements will form the basis of Target’s sizing study which will then roll out better-fitting clothes, jeans, intimate apparel, swimsuits and tops especially for its online store, hopefully by the end of the year.

“We want to cut back on online returns of clothes and get ahead of the curve. Getting the right fit is crucial for any retailer,” Mr Rogers said. “Nowadays pulling out a measuring tape is just not enough.” Target hopes to slash the returns of online apparel to about 10 per cent.

Alvanon was founded in 2001 by Kenneth Wang, a clothing manufacturer and doctor who used his knowledge of the human anatomy to revolutionise how body shapes are measured.

Today, Alvanon is a global company that turns over $US20m ($19.2m) a year.

“The traditional hour-glass shape is no longer representative,” Alvanon’s Hong Kong-based chief executive, Janice Wang, said.
“Body shapes and sizes have changed significantly over the years. Globally, people have become bigger and taller. Clothing manufacturers have to adapt to changing shapes and sizes to stay ahead of the game.”

In today’s digital age, the old adage one size fits all had definitely worn thin, she said.