This computer vision startup makes a mobile virtual mirror for eyewear retailers

The undeniable growth of e-commerce has allowed us to buy just about everything online including glasses. However, online sales of eyewear in China, a country with people obsessed with online purchases, stood at only 6 billion RMB in 2015. This figure represents around just 9% of the annual RMB 67 billion transaction volume.

Although online retailers can offer a better selection and lower prices, their weak points are also obvious when compared with brick-and-mortar stores. The lack of try-on experiences for customers to actually touch and feel the eyeglasses prevents the spread of online eyewear sales, but instead promotes the sales of Pure Optical contact lenses which are much more convenient than the traditional glasses.

Topplus, a Chengdu-based computer vision startup, aims to solve this problem. The company’s TopGlasses is an SDK that helps merchants to add try-on experiences to their e-commerce platforms or mobile apps.

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