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Sometimes—but it is not yet a proven, universal fix. Virtual try-on (VTO) may reduce fit-related returns when it helps shoppers choose a size accurately. Evidence for that outcome is less mature than evidence that VTO can influence purchase intentions, and fewer returns alone do not prove lower emissions. The environmental effect depends on the delivery and return routes, what happens to the item, and the rest of its lifecycle.

What counts as virtual try-on?

“Virtual try-on” can describe different tools. Some let shoppers see a garment on an image or avatar; others provide virtual fit information intended to help select a size. Those are not interchangeable interventions. A visual simulation can look convincing without predicting how a garment will fit, while fit information may help with sizing without rendering the garment on the shopper.

That distinction matters when interpreting results: evidence about virtual fit information should not be presented as proof that every camera-based or image-generating VTO product reduces returns.

What does the evidence say about returns?

Field evidence supports virtual fit information in one retailer setting

In randomized field experiments in online retail, Gallino and Moreno found that virtual fit information increased conversion rates and order value while reducing fulfillment costs associated with returns and home try-on behavior, including customers ordering multiple sizes. This is useful causal evidence that fit information can change shopping outcomes in the studied setting; it does not establish that all VTO systems will have the same effect. Read the study.

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Elebase USB to USB C Adapter for iPhone 18 Pro Max,USBC Car Charger Adapter
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A review finds return evidence promising, but less mature

A 2026 review by Cristina Yun and Jung-Hwa Seo, synthesizing research available through April 2026, concludes that VTO can improve purchase-related responses under some conditions. It describes evidence on returns as promising but less mature than evidence on purchase intention. A shopper’s increased willingness to buy is not itself proof that they keep the item.

The review emphasizes whether a tool improves size and fit accuracy and narrows the gap between what a shopper expects and what arrives. Effects can vary with body image, technology readiness, privacy concerns, garment characteristics, and simulation accuracy. Read the review.

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How could VTO affect emissions?

The potential benefit is conditional: accurate fit guidance may prevent a return; preventing it may avoid some reverse transport, packaging, handling, and processing. But the actual emissions change depends on the route the return would have taken, what happens to the garment instead—such as resale or disposal—and the product’s wider lifecycle. The available sources do not establish a VTO-specific emissions factor or measure emissions saved by VTO-driven return prevention.

Two figures illustrate why scope matters, but neither measures VTO’s emissions impact:

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  • A 2026 Tendam announcement about a UDIT life-cycle assessment reports a modeled average of 400 g CO₂ per order for Tendam’s omnichannel model, compared with 1,500–3,000 g for the exclusively digital platforms in the comparison. It reports potential reductions of 73%–87%. These are company-reported scenario results about shopping and logistics models, not a VTO test. Read Tendam’s announcement.
  • A 2025 study on UK fashion e-commerce returns reports estimates for 2022 of £7 billion in industry costs and 750,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions associated with discarded apparel. These are contextual estimates, not emissions per return or outcomes attributable to VTO. Read the study.

How does VTO compare with other return-reduction efforts?

Other interventions can affect returns, but their results should not be credited to VTO. In a randomized field experiment involving 117,304 participants at a leading European fashion retailer, Cristina Mihale-Wilson, Johanna Jagow, Maximilian Speicher, and Oliver Hinz found that environmental prompts reduced return shipments by 2.6% without negatively affecting sales. Their analysis also found differing responses: the prompt may help some shoppers and backfire for others. This is evidence about prompts, not virtual try-on. Read the study.

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What should retailers measure before making a claim?

A credible assessment should track actual customer and product outcomes, rather than treating clicks, engagement, or purchase intention as substitutes for fewer returns. Retailers evaluating VTO should measure:

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  • Which shoppers saw or used the tool, and for which products and garment categories.
  • Fit accuracy and how closely the delivered item matched the shopper’s expectations.
  • Purchases, exchanges, retained items, and returns at transaction level.
  • Results by garment type and shopper group, alongside privacy and inclusion outcomes.
  • Emissions under the actual delivery, pickup, return, handling, resale, and disposal scenarios.

Without those measurements, a retailer can describe VTO as a possible aid to fit decisions, but should not present it as a demonstrated emissions-reduction measure.

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  • Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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