Returns are an important issue in e-commerce. While several online stores have decided to charge a fee for returns to reduce costs, the French company Fringuant has developed a size advice tool based on body scan technology. His goal? Significantly reduce the number of returns in e-commerce.
According to Statista, in 2022, 20 percent of French consumers returned clothing ordered online. Although, according to a study by Sendcloud, 74 percent of European consumers would prefer not to order from an online shop if they had to pay for the return shipping out of their own pocket, retailers such as H&M and Zara have still decided to charge for returns.
Many returns are based on sizing issues
The problem with returns is one of the reasons why Zoé Tournant launched Fringuant in 2022. “Every third package is returned to fashion brands and in 70 percent of cases the return is due to a sizing problem. These returns mean logistics costs, lost money and the ecological component should not be forgotten. This is an inherent problem with the online fashion industry. For example, I am personally quite tall and it is always difficult for me to know whether the cut of a garment corresponds to my expectations. Many people around me have the same problem,” she told FashionUnited.
Based on this insight, the entrepreneur conducted extensive market research for eight months and interviewed fashion brands and their customers to find out the cause of the problem. On the customer side, many people had difficulty finding the right size. But the problems are also considerable for e-commerce providers. Tournant: “I recognized the extent of the problem. Brands’ goal is to satisfy customers, but this can be more difficult online than in-store as many customers are unsure which size is the right one. In addition, many returned items are no longer in perfect condition or no longer correspond to the brand’s current collection. They are then immediately reduced, which represents a huge loss.”
Together with her team, Zoé Tournant has therefore developed Fringuant (German: cheerful), a tool that is based on body measurement technology to find the right clothing size. Using the “Find my size” button, customers first answer a few questions about height and weight and then undergo a body scan using the camera on their own smartphone, which determines their personal body measurements and determines the correct clothing size. In addition to the size recommendation, the tool also provides information about the cut and style of the garment: “If the fit intended by the brand does not correspond to what the customer wants, he or she can select a different size to find the right size for the item to find your own profile,” she adds. Fringuant’s technology takes into account the specifics of each garment when making recommendations. This technology was developed in collaboration with the French Institute of Textiles and Clothing (IFTH). “The user scan is completed in ten seconds. In addition to the information that needs to be filled out beforehand, we estimate that it takes 30 seconds to find the right size. The customer’s profile is then saved for future purchases to make it easier.”
Data proves that returns can be saved
Today Fringuant works with six brands. The company initially launched its tool in November 2022 in collaboration with digitally oriented brands from Paris, such as Côtelé. “Between November 2022 and June 2023, we mainly worked on perfecting our offering before selling it to more brands. We started official marketing in June 2023.” Since then, Fringuant has been working with Des Petits hauts, La Fée Maraboutée and Vanessa Bruno, among others. Zoé Tournant: “We are also working with a workwear brand, Marcy Paris, which in particular “We have also received a letter of intent from a major French brand, but it is too early to talk about it.” Fringuant is already receiving positive feedback from its first customers: “The highest quality feedback we have received comes from Marcy Paris. Since it is work clothing, you have the opportunity to get the opinions of your employees. For B2C brands, we measure our added value in terms of both increased conversion rates and reduced returns. At Côtelé, we measured these results for a year and saw a 2.5x increase in conversion rate, a 30 percent increase in average shopping cart, and 16 percent reduction in returns.”
Fringuant wants to grow internationally
Zoé Tournant, a graduate of HEC Paris, a prestigious business school, began conceptualizing the project in her final year of study: “As I have a passion for fashion, I spoke to many brands to understand the market. Then everything came together and we founded Fringuant. Since I have a commercial profile, I am the one who communicates with the brands on a daily basis. I ensure that the needs of our customers are met. In addition to her, there are three co-founders: “Jacques Allibert, who always wanted to be an entrepreneur. During his studies, he was involved in the founding of a subsidiary of the La Poste Group in Ghana. Today he takes care of the administrative part of Fringuant.” Then there is Lancelot Convert, who has both a commercial and a creative profile. He takes care of the design and development of the product, especially the user experience. Clément Poiret, a researcher in computer vision, developed all of Fringuant’s technology, particularly the Body Recognition tool. The Fringuant team consists of a total of ten people.
Today, Fringuant has big goals. In the short term, the company would like to expand its presence on the French market and, in the medium term, also gain a foothold internationally. “By working with a brand like Vanessa Bruno, which has an international presence, our tool will be used directly in several countries in a few months and translated into different languages. We are also talking to international brands, first in Europe and then around the world,” explains the entrepreneur.
In six months, the start-up plans to launch a personal shopper tool that recommends products to customers that suit their body shape and purchasing preferences. It also wants to help fashion brands use generative AI to design collections that are better tailored to their target groups.
After a first round of financing of 500,000 euros in November 2022, Fringuant is preparing for another round of financing. The company recently attended the Web Summit in Lisbon to meet investors and potential partners. This year, Fringuant also received the Innov’Up grant from the Île-de-France region, which recognizes innovative companies. Fringuant now plans to focus on adding new brands in 2024 and continue to grow in the coming years.