Consumers, could you please refrain from trying the products?

To support the launch of the novel version of your watch Tank, Cartier focuses on augmented reality : through a Snapchat filter, users can watch a product on their wrist and discover its evolution over time. Like Cartier, more and more brands today offer novel ways to try their products: mattresses sold with a 100-day trial period (Emma, Tediber…), Etam which offers try at homei.e. receiving selected products at home and paying only for the ones you decide to keep…

All of this suggests how much more consumers have yet to try. THIS online sales still growing, butno product testing remains their main limitation. For the customer, this limits the risk you regret your purchase. Since it is impossible to mobilize all the senses through a website, some of them have developed “hybrid” behavior.This is for example ask on the internet on the product, then go to the store to try it out before you buy.

For distributors, the idea is to get the best of both worlds: an online catalog, which cannot be tested, as opposed to stores, where it is not possible to present the entire assortment. This would require a tight geographic network, immense sales areas, but also a immense number of employees.

In this context, novel forms of testing therefore seem promising. In particular, we have examined perspectives opened up by augmented reality.

A nice piece of clothing? Yes, but not necessarily on me

How does a trial period affect consumer purchase intentions? Where does this come from? Can it be replicated in another way? To answer these questions, we conducted a multiphase study.

First, we asked a sample of 162 adolescent women to choose a lipstick from 30 references. Some of the sample had to choose only from pictures, as on the Internet; the other side could try the products, as in a store. In the second case, purchase intentions were significantly higher, by 36%.

The interview phase then allowed us to explore the reasons behind this phenomenon. 16 people told us the story of their last clothing purchase, which included a trial period. We asked them more detailed questions about why they decided to try it and how the trial influenced their final decision.

Trying on allows you to check a set of features, such as size, material, color, and comfort. The respondent explains to us:

“It’s very crucial for me to try on clothes when I buy them. I don’t necessarily have a very standard size, so I have to try them on first, especially when it comes to trousers. When I see a piece of clothing that I think is nice, I know from experience that it doesn’t necessarily fit me. “

Precisely because the test enables validation of these elements, it makes it easier for consumers to make a good decision. A successful test strengthens the consumer’s confidence in their decision and then generates greater satisfaction:

“I’m more satisfied when I try something on because I’m more confident in what I’m buying. I generally don’t return anything I try on in a store. “

Technology is not the best answer

These interviews were supplemented by an observation phase. We went to A showroom furniture, with the specificity of not selling products directly: customers can order them online using tablets, but they can’t leave with a purchase. This is a space intended exclusively for viewing and testing products.

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It turned out that the test can be divided into three stages: it starts with the consumer look at the product from different angles, then he touch of fingers before’affect for example, sitting or lying on it. We also observe the logic of the back and forth movement between products. The first product tried is often the reference product, and the products tested later will be evaluated not in absolute terms, but in relation to this reference product: is the second chair more or less comfortable than the first? For the test to be “complete” and lead to a good decision, it seems necessary that these different stages be possible.

For these reasons, the virtual test in augmented reality cannot be put on the same level as the physical test. Technology does not seem to be the best answer to the lack of online trial periods and devices such as 100-day trial periods or try at home seem to lead to good purchasing decisions. However, it is not a miracle recipe for brands: leaving a certain (more or less long) time to try out products requires having a significant amount of cash, because the sale will not be final immediately. TO try at home it also doubles the logistical problems because some of the products will be returned to the distributor.