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On the Job

If the shoes (jeans, etc.) fit, everyone is happy

Jessica Murphy (standing) cofounded Woburn software startup True Fit. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff/Globe staff

As a former merchandiser, Jessica Murphy knows the “pain points” of retailers; unhappy customers returning unwanted clothes is one of the biggest profit drains. And for online shoppers, not being able to try on an outfit makes e-return rates as high as 40 percent. But what if apparel-sizing analytics could take the guesswork out of finding the right size? Murphy cofounded True Fit four years ago to curate the shopping experience, creating personalized profiles based on past purchases and preferences and using a comprehensive database of apparel and footwear measurements. Murphy spoke with Globe correspondent Cindy Atoji Keene about the company.

“Will it fit? What size should I order? There’s a lot of uncertainty for digital shoppers that keeps them from making confident decisions in the $1 trillion online footwear and apparel market. As a retail software platform, True Fit acts a virtual dressing room where algorithms crunch profile data as well as favorite brands and styles to generate customized recommendations.

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“We launched with Macy’s and Nordstrom and now over 20 e-commerce sites use TrueFit to reduce return rates and turn “window-shopping” browsers into buyers.

“For me personally, the biggest victory using our system was after we launched House of Fraser, a large multibrand retailer in the UK. I saw some outfits I liked but didn’t know what size I would be in the UK, so I used our service. I was psyched because it gave me some great suggestions for three lovely dresses.

“Our service is meant to bring back the joy of shopping and have it be fun again.”


Cindy Atoji Keene can be reached at cindy@cindyatoji.com.