Abstract:
The fashion retailing industry is growing rapidly and new interventions have been introduced such as online shopping which allows apparels to be purchased conveniently from the comfort of one’s home. However, the majority of the customers prefer shopping apparels in store because of their ability to touch, feel and see the product which enables them to make better buying decisions. Although shopping instore is preferred, apparel stores still struggle with retaining customers or even attracting new ones. This is due to the different factors which influence a negative shopping experience to the customers. Some of the major problems identified which customers face while shopping at fashion retailing stores are the unavailability of information, poor assistance by sales personnel, unsatisfactory after sales support and time wasted in queues to checkout or to use fitting rooms. The aim of the project is to identify the hassles faced by shoppers at apparel stores and to design, develop and evaluate an IT solution which would enhance their instore shopping experience. Hence, in-depth research was done with relevant literature to find out more about the problem domain and understand the expectations of the customers. Furthermore, interviews were carried out and questionnaires were distributed to validate this problem. It was identified that a solution which assists the customer to carry out different stages of the shopping journey in a more convenient and quicker way was required. Hence, considering these different factors and requirements, a mobile application called ShopEasy was implemented. This application would minimize the hassles by offering features like self-checkout, reservation of fit on rooms, product returns and communication with the sales staff. Furthermore, it also provides the user with personalized product recommendations based on their body size hence they will not waste time trying to find the dress which fits them best. The implemented solution was evaluated by domain experts and different stakeholders and the need for an application like ShopEasy was confirmed based on their feedback. It was stated that ShopEasy had addressed the regular pain points of the customers
shopping at fashion retailing stores and has the potential to enhance their shopping experience.
