Amazon Is Developing A 3D Modeling System To Solve Online Clothes Shopping’s Biggest Problem

As Amazon grows into the largest clothing retailer in the US, the number of returns it needs to handle will only increase. But the Seattle-based company appears to be working on a system to make sure customers get the right size the first time. A recent patent application filed by Amazon describes a few possible operating methods for a system that makes sizing recommendations to customers based on a “reference item.” Amazon would use a device, also described in the filing, to take the internal measurements of its products, allowing it to create three-dimensional models it would store in a database. As a user shops, Amazon would be able to recommend products with a similar fit based on whether its dimensions match the reference item within a certain threshold. If, say, you like the way your Converse sneakers fit, then you could be reasonably assured any sneakers Amazon recommends as a match would fit well, too. Read more at Quartz.