John Lewis jumps on the rental service bandwagon with digital ‘try on’ initiative

Department store John Lewis has launched a new rental service, in partnership with technology innovator Zyler, allowing customers to virtually try on rental pieces before committing to making a purchase.

The try-on technology will be added to the John Lewis Fashion Rental service, powered by HURR. This allows customers to click the 'try on' button on the product page to receive a digital mock-up 'try on' image. The initiative, which includes 750 garments, is the first of its kind for a UK rental site.

Zyler, which has also partnered with the likes of M&S, reported that customers view approximately 255 products before committing to a rental purchase. With its digital try-on feature, fashion businesses have seen an 18% increase in purchase conversions.

All shoppers have to do to take part in the trial is to upload a headshot, input their height, bra size and dress size, and a digital image will be generated.  Customers can see if the length, style and colour suit them before purchasing.

Innovation Lead at John Lewis, Danielle Gagola, commented: "We’re extremely excited to be able to lead the way in rental innovation by partnering with Zyler on our new ‘try it on’ function. It allows our customers to experiment with more styles, colours and lengths in products which they may not have tried before.

"We’re always looking for ways to encourage our customers to use our more sustainable services, and hopefully this function will encourage customers to give renting a go!"

Rental fast fashion continues to pick up headwinds. As Gen Z customers urge businesses to engage in sustainable practice, we've seen the rental market sweep the nation and beyond. Earlier this week, Japan Airlines (JAL) announced that it is trialling an innovative clothes rental service to encourage business travellers and tourists to Japan to reduce the amount of luggage they carry and their impact on the environment. Called 'Any Wear, Anywhere' the scheme will run until 31 August.

What's more, in May, Hirestreet, the affordable rental platform that offers everyday fashion, debuted a partnership with e-commerce giant ASOS. Hirestreet’s customers could shop an edit of over 180 womenswear pieces, which are "focused on women’s occasionwear dressing".