Welcome to the retail future, with an assist from the video game industry.
Bloomingdale's just became the first store in America (and the second in the world) to put a 3D Body Scanner from a company called Bodymetrics right in the middle of the store. Outside, it's a cool design, like something Apple would sell, if Apple sold body scanners.
Inside, it's unlike any fitting room you've ever seen. For one thing, it's got 16 eyes staring out at you. They're actually sensors from the Microsoft Kinect, which lets you bounce in front of your XBox 360 when you play games.
Your body is scanned, with the (modest) results coming through to an iPad. Your exact measurements are revealed, making it faster and easier to find just the right pair of jeans. Bodymetrics says the first machines are for women; eventually, they're hinting that a "male" version might be available - the better to snag that form-fitting suit, perhaps.
The Bloomingdale's in Stanford Shopping Center (the first to get a Bodymetrics machine) won't talk about how much money it's sinking into the pod, only that it's thrilled to be the first to get one. London-based Bodymetrics says it had success with a test run in Los Angeles, before making Silicon Valley ("yes, we're influenced by Apple, isn't everybody," says Chairman Dr. Suran Goonatilake) its first American home.
If you don't mind the feeling of being scanned, give it a shot. It will very likely cut your shopping time in half, and if you'd rather keep the results to yourself, just check your iPad later, and shop online.
Scott can be scanned on Twitter: @scottbudman
