Client Success Stories
PNNL technology helps take fashion forward
Intellifit kiosks are placed in retail locations to put the technology -- and a batter fit -- within reach of savvy shoppers.
The U.S. apparel market loses tens of billions of dollars per year to markdowns, returns and alterations. Philadelphia-based entrepreneur, Intellifit Corporation, went shopping for a technology solution to inexpensively solve a large part of this problem for apparel retailers, manufacturers, and the consumers who are buying and returning their clothing.
When Pacific Northwest National Laboratory introduced its millimeter wave holographic scanning technology, the company’s management snapped up the opportunity to license it and trim the losses.
Partnering with PNNL researchers, the company developed the Intellifit System, a body scanning kiosk that takes the guesswork out of finding the correct-size clothing. Shoppers step into a booth fully clothed and quickly get precise head-to-toe body measurements.
The first-of-its kind, Intellifit performs a 360-degree body scan in less than 10 seconds. Using harmless, low-power radio waves, the scanner generates more than 200,000 data points to form a high-resolution holograph or 3D image of the body. The data points measure a customer’s size and identify what clothing lines would fit them best.
Dubbed the Intellifit Mall Kiosk, the scanners have been placed in retail clothing locations across the United States. Several retailers use Intellifit to satisfy consumer demands for near-perfect tailoring. One retailer, David’s Bridal, has used the information from the scanners to revamp its plus-sized dress line. (The scanners compile information from 1,000 profiles a week.) The changes made from that information have increased total sales of that line by seven percent, proving the fiscal attractiveness of the technology to business owners.
Intellifit is a great example of how a technology can be one size fits all. In this case, it’s a clear win-win for shoppers, who want a better fit, and retailers and manufacturers within the apparel industry who want to realize higher profits.
View the full list of client success stories.