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Amazon Prime's popular Try Before You Buy program is ending. Starting February, Prime members will need to rely on Amazon's advanced AI tools for assistance when shopping for clothes.
Introduced as Prime Wardrobe in 2018, the program allowed Prime members to select up to six items of clothing, try them on at home for seven days, and return what they didn't like. Customers only paid for what they kept.
Despite its appeal, Amazon has decided to phase out the program, citing the growing adoption of its AI-powered shopping tools.
"Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we're phasing out the Try Before You Buy option, effective January 31, 2025," Amazon announced.
Amazon's decision is influenced by the costs associated with returns, which include processing and restocking unwanted items. In 2022, retailers reportedly lost $816 billion due to returned products.
By eliminating Try Before You Buy, Amazon aims to address a common issue known as bracketing, where customers order multiple sizes or colors of an item and return the ones they don't want. This practice increases operational costs and logistical strain.
Instead, Amazon is encouraging the use of its AI fit tools. These features leverage customer feedback to predict accurate sizes and provide detailed product insights. Additionally, the Virtual Try-On tool uses augmented reality to show how items like shoes or lipstick would look on a shopper.
For those who enjoyed the convenience of Try Before You Buy, the program will remain available for select clothing items until the end of January 2025. After that, Amazon's AI-driven solutions will take center stage. The company assures customers that its AI tools are designed to enhance the shopping experience, enabling faster and more informed decisions.
