Amazon Prime will discontinue its clothing trial service.
Amazon indicates that customers are increasingly using artificial intelligence features.
Amazon has decided to end its Prime Try Before You Buy program, which allowed Prime members to try on clothes before making a payment. This service will close on January 31, 2025, as stated in a notice on the program's homepage.
Maxine Tagay, a spokesperson for Amazon, said that the decision was due to the service being effective for only a "limited number of items" and that customers have increasingly been using new AI-driven features to make purchasing decisions. One example of these tools is the Virtual Try-On in AR feature, which allows users to visualize 3D replicas of shoes from certain brands on their own feet using their smartphone camera. She also highlighted "personalized size recommendations," which adjust size suggestions based on customer feedback.
Originally, Prime Try Before You Buy was launched in 2018 as Amazon Wardrobe, allowing Prime subscribers to request up to six items, try them on for seven days, and pay only for what they decided to keep. This initiative, similar to a basic styling service like Stitch Fix, was driven by a return system, which the company has been trying to reduce.
The closure of this program comes amid Amazon's efforts to cut costs, which have included mass layoffs and the closure of physical stores, as well as a reduction in its focus on the grocery industry. Tagay added in her statement that while the Try Before You Buy option will be eliminated, customers will continue to enjoy fast, free shipping and easy, no-cost returns on the entire selection of clothing.
