Hotter Shoes partners with True Fit to improve fit confidence

Hotter Shoes has announced that it is partnering with True Fit, a customer experience platform that decodes fit and size, to improve customer's fit confidence when they shop online. 

Hotter's digital-first transformation accelerated in 2020 and the brand now sees 90% of all new customers acquired through digital channels.

The company has previously invested in personalised fit capabilities such as augmented reality (AR) and is now keen to invest further as the pandemic saw shops closed and consumers reverting to digital channels.

True Fit will leverage its AI-powered algorithm, which builds on a data base of 88 million active members and 17,000 brands, to enable Hotter Shoe's to scale its fit personalisation and build customer trust.

Hotter Shoes will also expand True Fit’s service to be available in their app in the first quarter of 2022, helping True Fit to develop its direct-to-consumer offer. Hotter said that fit recommendations had already boosted order rate, up 30% for True Fit shoppers, while basket sizes have also increased with Average Order Value (AOV) 16% higher, translating to a 3.1% increase in incremental revenue lift in 3 months.

Will Rose, Technology Director at Hotter Shoes, commented: “Comfort and fit have always been paramount in Hotter Shoe’s retail offer and our customers come to – and stay with us – for that very reason. As such, we’re always looking to build confidence into their digital buying journeys, to help them have that ‘trying on’ experience virtually so they can be assured their shoes will fit like a glove.

“True Fit not only gives us this, but we can also use its data and dashboards to derive granular insights about our core shopper. This provides insights on shopper preferences, from their brand and price affinities across categories to fit consistency across our assortment, informing both product strategy and merchandising and marketing decisions, which is particularly powerful.”

Sarah Curran Usher MBE, MD EMEA at True Fit, noted: “Customers want to shop without fear when it comes to fit and size online. This is of particular importance as shoppers have become more digitally native and more and more consumers are discovering new brands – or new categories from their known brands – online, as we have seen over the last 18 months. They need the confidence to convert, backed up with a product they will keep. This means retailers need to build trust into the buying journey for the shopper, through high-fidelity fit recommendations that are powered by data insights to serve them only what they will love.”

Hotter most recently entered a partnership with M&S to sell its shoes, and also counts John Lewis and Debenhams.com as retail partners. Hotter also trades through its own website, a mail order channel and its stores, serving over 4.6 million customers globally.