Those walls will have ears

THE battle on the High Street is being taken right to the fitting room door, with retail giants vying to be the first to introduce technology that encourages shoppers to buy more clothes.

Marks & Spencer already plans to put microchips in its clothes that will set off changing room 'alarms' if a customer selects a combination of items that add up to a fashion disaster.

Jaeger owner Harold Tillman is now taking the idea further and has invested in a company that aims to transform the way people shop. Its changing room system would automatically detect which item a customeris trying on and offer alternative colours and sizes.

Sales staff are automatically alerted to a customer's change of mind and can bring new choices to the changing room. A number of retailers have shown interest and Tillman says he has talked to a major department store group and a fashion chain.

'Many retailers forget that the fitting room is where the decision to buy is made and see it as a waste of space,' he said. 'Yet it is the place to optimise sales and customer service.'

The systems will be available from early next year.