Gap continues size inclusion push with virtual fit tech acquisition
Gap Inc. is purchasing Drapr, a startup that enables customers to create 3D avatars and virtually try on clothing.
The Drapr platform is designed to help customers find the best clothing size and fit for their personal style and body type, while helping retailers reduce unnecessary returns. Gap is making the acquisition on the heels of a new initiative at its Old Navy banner, called “Bodequality,”which offers every one of its women’s styles, in every size, with no price difference.
As part of the effort, Old Navy is transforming its fleet of more than 1,200 stores and online shops into fully size-integrated shopping experiences. Online, Old Navy is merging its women’s and women’s plus collections from the site’s navigation menu to provide one size-integrated shopping destination for sizes 00-30. The updated site will showcase women’s styles on models in sizes four, 12 and 18, and shoppers can use a new toggle feature to select their preferred default model display size.
“With the launch of Bodequality, we reinvented our fit process at Old Navy to give women greater confidence in their clothes, no matter the size,” said Nancy Green, president & CEO of Old Navy. “Drapr’s technology will help us continue to build on this expertise and deliver a more personalized and inclusive fit experience for all of our customers by showing them how an item will actually look on their body while also recommending the best fit for them based on their individual preferences.”
“Fit is the number one point of friction for customers and, through their advanced 3D technology, Drapr has shown it can help shoppers efficiently find the size and fit they need,” said Sally Gilligan, chief growth transformation officer at Gap Inc. “We plan to leverage Drapr to help Gap Inc. improve the fit experience for our customers and accelerate our ongoing digital transformation.”
The deal, for an undisclosed sum, was brokered by Gap’s Strategic Growth Office, led by Sally Gilligan, a unit of the company charged with thinking beyond its core business in order to meet the consumer and industry demands of the future. The Strategic Growth Office seeks out investments that fuel growth and accelerate new capabilities at Gap Inc. and across its portfolio of brands.
Part of the Y Combinator class of Summer 2020, Drapr was founded by David Pastewka, Will Drevno and Richard Berwick, who have collaborated on 3D technology for over a decade with early support from Boost VC and Berkeley SkyDeck.
“Most people either don’t know their exact measurements or are looking for a specific type of fit that numbers alone can’t tell them,” said Drapr co-founder and CEO David Pastewka. “Drapr has proven effective and we are excited about the impact we can have on customers at scale as part of the Gap Inc. family.”
Gap Inc., a collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands, is the largest American specialty apparel company offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta brands.