The folks behind Uniqlo are unveiling a new concept in Tokyo: Customers can try on clothes and then leave the store to see how they look in public.
Casual wear chain GU, which is run by the company behind Uniqlo, is opening a new shop in Tokyo's Shibuya today. Until the end of the month, the store is testing a new service called "GU Fitting." Apparently, it's the first of its kind.
Here's how it works: You pick out clothes that you like. You then go to the GU Fitting counter and put in a request to test drive the clothes. Then, you leave the store! You must return to the shop sometime during that same day, and you can decide to purchase the clothes or not. GU Fitting is restricted to thirty people per day and three items per shopper.
As with Uniqlo, GU clothes are not pricey: the most expensive item in the store is the equivalent of around twenty bucks, with many items costing under ten dollars. That's perhaps why GU isn't too worried about people making off with clothing.
What's more, the store will allow customers to wear the clothes to, for example, go eat or visit other shops, or whatever. As Nippon TV reports, those using the GU Fitting service need to only give their name and phone number. Photo i.d. is not necessary, as GU is putting trust in its shoppers.
Currently, Fast Retailing, the company that runs Uniqlo and GU, is waiting to see how this service does and is thinking about expanding it.
I'm not entirely convinced this would work outside of Japan and am curious to see how it does here. Because for some customers, it might not be a matter of deciding to buy or not to buy, but to ever return to the store.
試着したまま外出ＯＫ♪ジーユー新サービス [Nippon TV]
ジーユー、試着したまま街に出られる新サービス「GU Fitting」 を試験導入 ー 渋谷初出店の店舗で [ShoppingTribe]
ジーユーは6月18日、渋谷PARCO Part3地下1階に「ジーユー渋谷パルコ店」をオープンする [流通]
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