Retail in Asia

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Walmart acquires virtual try-on tech firm Zeekit

U.S. retail giant Walmart announced that it plans to acquire Israeli virtual fitting room company Zeekit, for an undisclosed sum, as the American company homes on improving the customer experience across its apparel offering.

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Zeekit — a female-founded, Israeli-based company — combines fashion and technology through its virtual fitting room platform to create a significantly enhanced customer and social experience.

Customers can upload their picture or choose from a series of models that best represent their height, shape and skin tone to instantly see themselves in any item of clothing, mimicking the experience of trying on clothes in a store. From here, they can share their virtual outfits with friends for a second opinion.

The acquisition by Walmart means shoppers will be able to virtually try on items across the retailer’s assortment of notable U.S. brands like Free People, Champion and Levi’s Strauss, as well as a mix of exclusive brands, including private brands like Time and Tru, Terra & Sky, Wonder Nation and George, and elevated brands like ELOQUII Elements, Free Assembly, Scoop and Sofia Jeans by Sofia Vergara.

“Over the last few years, we’ve been working hard to expand our apparel assortment to include quality, on-trend and accessible fashion to help customers outfit their closets no matter their personal style or budget,” said Denise Incandela, EVP of Apparel and Private Brands, Walmart U.S.

“But, in an increasingly online-driven category, customers not only want variety in styles, but also an inspiring and personalized digital experience that makes shopping for apparel easy, fun and social,” continued Incandela.

“Virtual try-on is a game-changer and solves what has historically been one of the most difficult things to replicate online: understanding fit and how an item will actually look on you. Zeekit will help us deliver an inclusive, immersive and personalized experience for our diverse customer base,” added Incandela.

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Zeekit was founded by CEO Yael Vizer, CTO Alon Kristal and VP R&D Nir Appleboim. The trio will be staying on board following Walmart’s takeover.