Reinventing the retail sector with Virtual Fitting Rooms: Consumer Perception

Project Work presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, specialization in Marketing Research and CRMVirtual Fitting Rooms (VFRs) have emerged as a promising technology for the eyewear industry, offering consumers the opportunity to try on glasses virtually before purchasing them. However, little is known about consumers' perception towards VFRs, especially in the context of eyewear. This thesis aims to explore consumers' assessment of VFRs for eyewear using a mixed-methods approach, including an experiment, in-depth interviews, and observation method. The sample consisted of 219 participants from NOVA IMS. The experiment aimed to measure the degree of acceptance of potential privacy issues involved and the willingness to use VFRs. The in-depth interviews aimed to explore the reasons behind participants' assessments towards VFRs, while the observation method was used to analyse the behavior and interaction between the participants and the VFR. The results indicate that concerns regarding potential privacy issues involved in VFRs were higher among the personalized sample. Additionally, younger, and male consumers were more likely to be accepting of potential privacy issues and more responsive to VFRs. Participants were less likely to use VFRs if it required uploading a video but were moderately likely to use VFRs if it required uploading a photo. However, participants were likely to use VFRs if it required entering measurements. Finally, a high proportion of the sample indicated that they would consider or certainly buy after the VFR experience. This study contributes to the literature on consumer’s perception towards VFRs by providing insights of NOVA IMS consumers’ perceptions towards VFRs for eyewear. The findings have important implications for eyewear retailers and manufacturers who are considering the implementation of VFR technology