Aetrex is now offering retailers the FitStarter technology platform, a personalized footwear recommendation platform “to help retailers improve their shoe fitting service for shoppers, reduce returns and increase customer satisfaction.”
The company said in a release that the FitStarter platform was developed in partnership with the shoe fit testing company Heeluxe.
“FitStarter is an accurate, turnkey starting point to its AI-powered shoe match-making platform, FitGenius,” Aetrex said in the release. Retailers can reportedly add FitStarter to their Albert 3D foot scanner (Albert 2 Pro or Albert 3DFit) software.
To support FitStarter, Aetrex reportedly established multiple Fit Labs to analyze shoes submitted by participating retailers each season. Aetrex will analyze the shoes using the Hank Jr Shoe Fitting Smartlast system developed by Heeluxe, which leverages pressure sensor technology.
“Within days, retailers will have footwear and fit recommendations available within their Aetrex Albert software,” said Aetrex.
“While FitGenius remains our gold standard fit recommendation offering for retailers, not every retailer has the capacity to quickly collect the required 5,000 foot scan data points necessary to feed the AI platform,” said Larry Schwartz, CEO , Aetrex. “With FitStarter, retailers can provide accurate shoe fit recommendations from day one of installation while also collecting the foot scan data points needed to upgrade to the premium FitGenius AI.”
The FitStarter program provides shoppers with personalized fit recommendations, while FitGenius can provide footwear recommendations in-store and online based on available inventory. After a shopper completes an Aetrex 3D foot scan at a participating retail location, FitStarter will rank the retailer’s footwear inventory based on the likelihood of a good fit for that individual from excellent to poor. It will also display a graphic of the consumer’s selected shoe, highlighting areas that fit well and potential areas of pressure. FitStarter also considers the shopper’s preference for shoe fit, ranging from snug to roomy.
“Like Aetrex, Hank Jr Shoe Fitting is focused on data-driven technology solutions to improve footwear fit and design, bringing natural synergy to our partnership,” said Dr. Geoffrey Gray, founder of Heeluxe and Hank Jr Shoe Fitting, Inc. “This partnership allows us to bring our shoe data and testing process to the masses in an effort to help shoppers around the world get into the right fitting footwear on the first try, quickly and easily.”
FitStarter will be available to Aetrex foot scanning partners on January 1, 2024 on a service subscription model.
Photos courtesy Aetrex
