Amazon has made a new acquisition. They have apparently snapped up a company called Body Labs, that produce 3D body models, for somewhere in the region of $50m to $70m.
Body Labs have developed technology that creates 3D models of your body that could obviously be invaluable in fashion retail online ensuring that you get a perfect fit when buying garments. Not only would that improve the buying experience permitting you to envisage yourself in the new clothes but also save on returns. Fashion ecommerce is notorious for the high number of return because people buy multiple sizes to ensure they get the right one.
Such technology also has significant potential when it comes to other futuristic interests Amazon has such as machine learning and artificial intelligence. It’s easy to imagine a service whereby Amazon gets to know your style from what you’ve bought previously and understands your physique meaning it can make proactive clothing suggestions.
The price paid hasn’t been revealed and Amazon hasn’t made a commment on the deal.
There are immediate opportunities available to Amazon when it comes to integrating the technology into existing services. It could easily become part of Amazon Prime Wardrope which gives shoppers the chance to get the goods and try them on before committing to buy. And the dedicated fashion Echo device dubbed Look which has a feature take style selfies for use on social media.
There is some speculation that this purchase of Body Labs company is what they call an “acquihire”. This is where a company is bought not for what they already do but for the talent within the organisation and their potential to develop future technology.
And there are further possibilities because Body Labs also has extensive interest and expertise in gaming which is another sector that’s of interest to Amazon.
