The retail industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by e-commerce, data analytics, and supply chain management and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual and augmented reality. In the last three years alone, there have been over 59,000 patents filed and granted in the retail industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Virtual and augmented reality in retail: virtual try-ons. Buy the report here.

Smarter leaders trust GlobalData

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 126,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the retail industry, there are 50+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Virtual try-ons is a key innovation area in virtual and augmented reality

Virtual try-ons refer to the use of augmented and virtual reality technologies to help shoppers visualize the fit, look and appearance of a product without stepping into a store or retail outlet. The technology is primarily used by retailers for apparel, furniture, and accessories which a shopper can try on from the comfort of their home, helping customers make informed decisions and reducing the risk of returns for retailers.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies.  According to GlobalData, there are 185+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established retail companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of virtual try-ons.

Key players in virtual try-ons – a disruptive innovation in the retail industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

Patent volumes related to virtual try-ons

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Levi Strauss 110 Unlock Company Profile
Magic Leap 105 Unlock Company Profile
eBay 79 Unlock Company Profile
Carl Zeiss Stiftung 77 Unlock Company Profile
Alibaba Group 74 Unlock Company Profile
Metail 64 Unlock Company Profile
Lantmannen 53 Unlock Company Profile
Snap 48 Unlock Company Profile
Omash.com 39 Unlock Company Profile
Amazon.com 38 Unlock Company Profile
Toshiba 37 Unlock Company Profile
LG 31 Unlock Company Profile
adidas 29 Unlock Company Profile
EcoSense Lighting 27 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 23 Unlock Company Profile
Houzz 20 Unlock Company Profile
Zazzle.Com 20 Unlock Company Profile
NIKE 19 Unlock Company Profile
JD.com 18 Unlock Company Profile
Signify 17 Unlock Company Profile
Baidu 17 Unlock Company Profile
Walmart 16 Unlock Company Profile
Rakuten Group 14 Unlock Company Profile
Microsoft 14 Unlock Company Profile
Tencent 13 Unlock Company Profile
SoftBank Group 13 Unlock Company Profile
Electronic Arts 12 Unlock Company Profile
PayPal 12 Unlock Company Profile
Uber Technologies 12 Unlock Company Profile
Crisalix 12 Unlock Company Profile
Interogo Foundation 12 Unlock Company Profile
Marxent Labs 11 Unlock Company Profile
Seiren 10 Unlock Company Profile
MISUMI Group 10 Unlock Company Profile
InterDigital 9 Unlock Company Profile
CLO Virtual Fashion 9 Unlock Company Profile
Kao 9 Unlock Company Profile
Latham Pool Products 9 Unlock Company Profile
Groupon 8 Unlock Company Profile
Specsavers Optical Group 8 Unlock Company Profile
Fidelity National Information Services 8 Unlock Company Profile
Jins 8 Unlock Company Profile
Capital One Financial 8 Unlock Company Profile
Xenogenic Development 7 Unlock Company Profile
Meta Platforms 7 Unlock Company Profile
Advanced New Technologies 7 Unlock Company Profile
MISUMI 6 Unlock Company Profile
FaceCake Marketing Technologies 6 Unlock Company Profile
Beijing Electronics 6 Unlock Company Profile
Cimpress 6 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Levi Strauss, The Saudi Public, eBay and Carl Zeiss Stiftung are the leading patent filers for this technology in the retail industry. Levi announced that it will introduce AI-based virtual models that are size inclusive for users to try on clothing and accessories based on body type and skin tone. Traditional virtual try-ons make use of the shopper’s smartphone camera, which needs to adjust according to the specific needs of the AI, creating unnecessary hassle for the shopper.

In terms of application diversity, The Saudi Public is the leader, followed by EcoSense Lighting and Interogo Foundation.

By means of geographic reach, The Saudi Public held the top position, followed by Lantmannen ek and EcoSense Lighting.

With the advent of virtual try-ons, retailers can reduce several issues related to e-commerce operations. Customers get to ascertain product fit and look before purchasing, allowing them to make more informed decisions and boost customer trust for e-commerce goods. It also allows customers and retailers to reduce the number of items that may need to be returned as customers have a better understanding of the product’s fit and how it will look on them.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the retail industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Virtual & Augmented Reality in Retail.

Data Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.