Retention Edge E05: Size Charts Are a Joke - Here’s What Works Instead w/Jeff Mergy

In this episode of the Retention Edge podcast, we talked with Jeff Mergy, VP of Growth, Partnerships & Strategy at Bold Metrics Inc.

Jeff dives into the trouble with traditional size charts, and how AI-driven personalization could revolutionize the customer ex

Dive into the episode in full below (or head to YouTube or Spotify to subscribe):

Here’s what we discussed on the pod:

What Bold Metrics is Doing for Ecommerce Brands

• AI-powered body-data platform that builds a full 3-D body model from a shopper’s height, weight & a few garment sizes. No photos required.

• Fit guidance lives on PDPs and feeds design, merchandising, sustainability and marketing teams across the org.

• Goal: make sizing help “a need-to-have,” not a nice-to-have, as returns and CX stakes rise.

Why Fit & Sizing Remain an Untapped Growth Lever

• Most brands still rely on static size charts; few have adopted smart tools despite mounting return costs.

• Shoppers bounce if the first purchase feels risky, especially new-to-brand visitors acquired at sky-high CACs.

• When Bold Metrics is enabled, fast-growing DTC brands see a large share of revenue flowing through the tool (because first-time buyers trust it).

Returns, Sustainability & Brand Economics

• Free returns aren’t free: they erode margins and carry a heavy CO₂ footprint.

• Body data slashes mis-sized orders and supports B-Corp-level sustainability KPIs.

• Same data guides designers to cut patterns that actually fit their real customer base, reducing over-production.

Fit Preference: The Secret Sauce for Loyalty

• Bold Metrics shows not just “you’re a Medium,” but how the garment will feel (tight chest, roomy waist, etc.).

• Letting shoppers tweak fit preference builds trust and drives repeat buys; without it, size-based guidance can spike returns.

• Brands are experimenting with incentives (loyalty points, reduced return fees) for creating a “fit profile.”

Omnichannel & Mobile Opportunities

• API lets brands pull body data into store experiences — e.g., pre-loaded fit suggestions for clienteling sessions.

• Mobile apps provide a unique, opt-in onboarding flow to capture the profile once and reuse it everywhere.

• Future: filter PLPs to only show items in stock that fit the shopper’s body & style.

The Next Five Years of AI-Powered CX

• Expect explosion of AI-generated model visuals showing each item on multiple body shapes.

• Hyper-personalized storefronts will feel natural to Gen-Z shoppers. But brands must balance convenience with privacy, keeping data explicitly opt-in.

• Returns policies will tighten, making proactive sizing help a conversion necessity, not a differentiator.

Jeff’s Retention Playbook Takeaways

• Capture body data early: embed the size quiz in onboarding, loyalty or even in-store.

• Communicate differently to shoppers who bounced: swap generic “you left this” emails for personalized fit-confidence nudges.

• Use fit insights cross-functionally; from sustainable production planning to marketing segments based on body shape and style preference.

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