Shuttered Fitting Rooms Anger Shoppers And Boost Returns. How These Retailers Are Trying To Fix That

Retailers from Gap to Lululemon to American Eagle had to close stores to customers for a number of weeks last spring. And even as clothing stores began to reopen, many companies still opted to keep fitting rooms closed, in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid. Some of them, like Zara’s, remain closed in parts of the United States. The headaches for consumers are somewhat obvious: Not being able to try on items in stores means potentially stocking up on extra sizes, like Hearden did, to later see what works at home. Shoppers tend to employ a similar strategy when looking for clothes or shoes online — they’ll buy a dress in two or even three sizes — which has increasingly happened over the course of the health crisis. For businesses, this chain of events sends return rates skyrocketing. And that comes with a cost. With the Covid pandemic serving as somewhat of a wake-up call, retailers including the biggest in the country, Walmart, are looking for ways to solve the fitting-room dilemma. Read more at CNBC.