Anyone who has shopped for clothes online knows the frustration of ordering the wrong size. It’s a challenge that costs retailers millions every year and often leaves customers ordering multiple sizes just to be safe.
New research by Professor Thomas Dobbelstein, Honorary Research Professor at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Professor at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) Ravensburg in Germany, together with Professor Zielke and Dr. Ortlinghaus from Walbusch-Chair for Multi-Channel-Management at the University of Wuppertal, is helping to explain why.
Professor Dobbelstein recently presented his work at the 32nd Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Science (RARCS) Conference in Berlin, one of the world’s leading conferences in the field of retailing and consumer science. The conference brought together researchers and industry experts from across the globe to share new ideas and discuss the future of retail.
Drawing on two studies involving 1080 participants in Germany, Professor Dobbelstein compared the different types of digital size recommendation tools used by online fashion retailers.
His research found that shoppers place greater trust in questionnaire-based size advisors than image-based systems or traditional size charts. Participants described these tools as easier to use, more reliable and better at giving them confidence that they had chosen the correct size.
The research also uncovered an interesting trend. When shoppers were advised to buy the size they would normally choose, they were happy to order just one item. However, when the recommendation differed from their usual size, many still ordered several sizes to try on at home. This suggests that size recommendation tools often reassure customers about decisions they have already made rather than convincing them to change their minds.
The findings offer practical guidance for online fashion retailers looking to improve customer confidence and reduce unnecessary returns, while creating a better shopping experience for consumers. In addition to his academic role at DHBW Ravensburg, Professor Dobbelstein is an Honorary Research Professor at DUT, Chairperson of the Advisory Board of the DUT Business School and serves on the Board of the Innobiz DUT Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Through these roles, he continues to support the DUT’s international research, innovation and sustainability agenda.
Pictured: Professor Thomas Dobbelstein presenting his research at the 32nd Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Science (RARCS) Conference in Berlin, Germany.
Alan Khan
