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A 10-second body scan inside the booth takes a shopper’s measurements at 20,000 data points.

Shoppers who dislike going to several stores at the mall and trying several sizes before finding a good fit may be pleased to know some malls now have a way to make the process easier.

Me-Ality™—Measured Reality, a booth in which a 10-second body scan takes a shopper’s exact measurements at 20,000 data points, matches a person’s size with items available in the mall. If, for example, the shopper needs new jeans, the scan will tell the person the type and size that will fit at specific stores. A Me-Ality booth opened at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody on May 10.

The biggest challenge initially for this “fitting room of the future” may be convincing people that it really is quick and free. For nearly an hour around lunchtime the day the station opened at Perimeter Mall shoppers shook their heads at invitations to try the scan, the cost of which is born by clothing stores—shoppers aren’t charged.

Finally, shoppers Madilyn Holmes and Chris Williams decided to give it a try. They both were squealing with delight at the results. “I was surprised; it got my size—exactly,” Holmes said. “I was skeptical at first, but this really works.”

Williams added, “I’m impressed; it got it right—and it was fun.”

It’s also safe since no radiation is used, explained Tunisia Serrat who was operating the booth. The scan is done with low-power radio waves. The shopper doesn’t have to remove anything except a coat or jacket. The process start to finish takes about 10 minutes.

Shoppers probably still are likely to want to try on the garment recommended by the Me-Ality to gauge the look—and, as Serrat noted, some people like a looser fit and some like a snugger fit. Me-Ality, however, eliminates trying clothes that don’t fit at all.

Once the shopper has been scanned, he or she is given a personal bar code that can be used indefinitely as long as the person stays the same size. “I love that I can take this to other malls,” said Holmes, who lives in Stockbridge. “I’m a simple shopper. This makes life easier.”

If the system becomes popular, it may also mean stores have fewer fitting room discards to return to the racks and fewer clothes that become wrinkled or stained during the try-on process.

“We are so excited to give shoppers the opportunity to preview the fitting room of the future at some of the most innovative shopping malls in Georgia,” stated Tanya Shaw, president and CEO of Me-Ality, in a news release. “Right now we are in the preview phase of our launch, which means we’re able to match people with a range of denim and pants styles. We’ll be expanding to cover all clothing in the very near future.”

Me-Ality stations are opening at malls across the country and officials at Unique Solutions Ltd., owners of Me-Ality, say that during the next two years the kiosks will open at more than 300 malls across the United States.