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Dutch eyewear chain Hans Anders has launched an AI tool on its website. An algorithm teaches the app to give personal online eyewear advice. In time, the app may also find its way to other markets, including those of its sister chain eyes + more.
Belgium to follow
The app was launched on Hans Anders’ Dutch website today, and will be expanded to the chain’s Belgian website this autumn. Using a self-teaching algorithm, the app supplies personal advice based on the customer’s facial characteristics. This will allow the chain to supply online advice to its customers, helping them find their way around the product offering.
“The ROPO effect (Research Online, Purchase Offline) of our website is strong, but we also see that people orient themselves online and, in the end, do not visibly take action“, director digital & innovation Bram Bruijns explained in a press release. Bruijns states that if you enter an eyewear store and nobody comes to help you, you will leave that store – and that the same is true for an eyewear webshop.
17 features
The app collects 17 facial features and 24 spectacle data points, including eyebrow sape, jawline and skin undertone. Using these characteristics, the system selects ten frames out of the 3,500 available, for a “virtual try-on session”.
However, customers cannot buy their glasses straight away: they still have to visit a brick-and-mortar store in order to have their eyes tested and do a hands-on frame test. However, the selection process in the stores should be a lot faster as the stores are notified of the ten favourite frames and will have them already available there. This should lead to faster conversion, Bruijns hopes. This, in turn, should lead to fewer items returned, 10 % more conversion and 20 % more loyalty.
No wonder then that Hans Anders is already eyeing an expansion of the app over the borders. Rian van Koulil, director brand & communications, told our editor that the tool will be expanded to Belgium as well. This will happen in the next few months, while a further expansion to another 170 stores in Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands through eyes + more, another chain in the Hans Anders group, is also possible. “We see the added value of this advisory tool for eyes + more as well, but the timing of the implementation has not yet been established”, van Koulil continues.
