Online apparel retail is under pressure. Revenue growth is slowing, return rates are climbing, and customer acquisition costs keep rising. The National Retail Federation put the average U.S. retail return rate at 15.8 percent in 2025, with apparel return rates running as high as 40 percent, a trend that squeezes margins across the industry.
WWD Sourcing Journal recently covered new research addressing this problem directly. The coverage centers on a DRESSX intelligence report tracking 1.2 million ecommerce shoppers across 216 countries, and it found a significant performance gap between shoppers who use AI virtual try-on and those who rely on static product images alone.
What Did WWD Sourcing Journal Report About AI Try-On?
WWD Sourcing Journal reported that shoppers who use AI virtual try-on convert at significantly higher rates than shoppers who do not. The publication cited DRESSX's new intelligence report as the source of the data.
DRESSX is an AI solutions provider that builds virtual try-on, styling, and personalization tools for fashion and luxury brands. Its AI Try-On product lets shoppers see how a garment looks on their own body, using their own photo instead of a generic model image.
According to the report, shoppers who use a digital try-on tool are three times more likely to add items to their cart, and conversion rates increase by 50 percent compared to shoppers viewing static images only. That effect is strongest on merchandise priced over $1,000, where the financial risk of a wrong purchase is highest.
Full-body rendering also emerged as the clear shopper preference, capturing 80 percent of engagement over basic AI twin formats. As the report put it, "AI try-on is different because it puts the shopper inside the product experience."
You can read the full DRESSX AI Try-On Report for the complete methodology and dataset.
How Much Does Virtual Try-On Improve Customer Retention?
Virtual try-on users are far more likely to return to a retailer's site than shoppers who never use it. The report found that 44 percent of virtual try-on users remain active 30 days after their first visit, compared to just 1 percent of non-users.
Mobile plays a central role in this behavior. Smartphones account for 70 percent of try-on interactions and drive more than four out of five revenue dollars generated through the technology. For brands building a mobile-first commerce strategy, this retention gap is as important as the conversion numbers.
Brand Partners Are Already Seeing Results
Fashion houses adopting AI virtual try-on are speaking publicly about the impact. Victoria Beckham partnered with DRESSX to launch an AI-powered virtual try-on tool across its ecommerce site, giving shoppers a way to visualize fit and styling before checkout.
Kate Hurrell, head of ecommerce at Victoria Beckham, said the technology is "bringing the boutique experience closer to digital platforms."
Daria Shapovalova, CEO and founder of DRESSX, described the shift underway across the industry: "Try-on is no longer just a consumer-facing visual trick." Brands are beginning to treat try-on as core infrastructure and are building merchandising, content, and distribution strategies around it.
What Should Fashion Brands Do With This Data?
Brands evaluating AI virtual try-on should prioritize mobile, full-body rendering, and high-consideration categories, since that is where the WWD-covered data shows the largest impact.
Prioritize mobile. With 70 percent of interactions happening on smartphones, a try-on experience that isn't mobile-optimized leaves conversion on the table.
Invest in full-body rendering. Shoppers strongly prefer it over basic AI twin formats, and it captures the majority of engagement.
Focus on high-consideration categories first. Premium and higher-priced items see the largest lift in shopper confidence and conversion.
Track retention alongside conversion. A 44 percent 30-day retention rate versus 1 percent for non-users shows the impact of try-on extends well past the first purchase.
Fashion brands already seeing this data in action, like Victoria Beckham, are using DRESSX AI Try-On to move shoppers from browsing to buying with more confidence.
FAQ: DRESSX AI Try-On
What is DRESSX? DRESSX is a leading AI solutions provider for fashion ecommerce. Its AI Suite includes virtual try-on, AI-generated fashion imagery, in-store interactive mirrors, and personalized marketing tools, built for fashion and luxury brands.
What is DRESSX AI Try-On? DRESSX AI Try-On is a virtual try-on tool that lets ecommerce shoppers see how a garment looks on their own body using a personal photo, instead of relying only on model images.
How much does AI virtual try-on improve conversion? DRESSX's intelligence report, covered by WWD Sourcing Journal, found that shoppers using virtual try-on are three times more likely to add items to their cart and convert 50 percent more often than shoppers viewing static images alone.
Does virtual try-on affect customer retention? Yes. The report found 44 percent of virtual try-on users remain active 30 days after their first visit, compared to 1 percent of shoppers who never use it.
Which product category benefits most from virtual try-on? Premium merchandise priced over $1,000 sees the strongest lift, since shoppers face the highest financial risk on higher-priced purchases.
Want to see the strategy behind these results? Explore how DRESSX Mirror is transforming in-store try-on or catch up on 25 AI virtual try-on statistics fashion executives should know.
To see the complete dataset covered by WWD Sourcing Journal, read the DRESSX AI Try-On Report in full, or reach out to talk through what AI try-on could do for your conversion and retention numbers.
