Online lingerie brand ThirdLove has made it possible to buy bras without having to go near a fitting room. Customers complete an online quiz to find their perfect bra shape. Bras are shipped to the customer, who has the chance to test out the bra for 30 days and then either keep it — and be charged — or return it.
The company says it now has over 600 million data points about breast shapes, bra sizes, and the most common fit issues that women face. It also offers half sizes.
Founder Heidi Zak told Business Insider earlier this year that the company has no plans to go into brick-and-mortar retail but is continuing to iterate based on the data it receives, enabling it to roll out new sizes.
In 2019, we can expect to see ThirdLove looking at ways to blend technology with human customer service.
"There are certain things that machine learnings and algorithms can't achieve," Zak said. "That's the interesting thing for us, when does the real person step in? When is the right moment for the fit stylist to step in?"