Wildberries Steps into the Future with Virtual Fitting Rooms

Wildberries: From Russian Roots to Global Ambition

Wildberries is a major e-commerce marketplace founded in Russia in 2004 by Tatyana Kim. Over the years, it has scaled rapidly to become one of the largest online retailers in Eurasia, expanding beyond Russia into neighbouring countries and increasingly into cross-border operations.

A unique model has powered the company’s growth: an expansive network of pick-up points, now numbering over 70,000 worldwide, where customers can collect and return orders. This system has helped Wildberries build trust in regions where home delivery is less reliable and has lowered return-handling costs. In Russia, Wildberries commands almost half of the online marketplace share, while internationally it has made inroads in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and, more recently, Türkiye and the UAE.

Yet with scale comes new challenges. Competing against global heavyweights such as Amazon and regional champions like Trendyol and Noon, Wildberries has realized that infrastructure alone is not enough. The next phase of its growth depends on innovation that improves the customer experience.

Key metrics as of 2025 include:

• Serving 79 million customers across its markets.

• Processing more than 20 million orders per day.

• Operating a logistics network with over 130 facilities and tens of thousands of “pick-up” or “pickup” points (58,000+ to over 70,000 depending on metric/source) across multiple countries.

• There has been significant growth in its “pick-up point” network: one report notes a 75% increase in pickup points in its markets since the beginning of 2024.

Also, Wildberries holds a very large share of the marketplace sector in the Russian domestic market. For instance, in 2024, its market share among Russian marketplaces was approximately 47%.

The Virtual Fitting Room: A Digital Experiment

In September 2025, Wildberries unveiled a virtual fitting room to let shoppers “try on” clothes digitally. Customers can input measurements, select avatars, and see how garments drape and fit in real time. The goal is simple but transformative: Reduce the high rate of returns in online fashion shopping while giving buyers the confidence of a near-in-store experience.

For Wildberries, this is more than a tech gimmick. Returns are one of the costliest aspects of e-commerce, particularly in clothing. By cutting even a fraction of unnecessary shipments, the company could save millions, ease logistical strain, and boost seller satisfaction. Sellers, many SMEs, also benefit from fewer disputes and higher conversion rates.

Wildberries in Türkiye

Wildberries entered the Turkish market in late 2021, offering 5.6 million items from 163,000 brands. Its arrival was bold, but it faced stiff competition from Trendyol, Hepsiburada, and Amazon Türkiye, all of which have strong local logistics and customer loyalty.

The virtual fitting room could become a differentiator here. Turkish consumers are often cautious with cross-border platforms due to shipping delays and complicated return policies. A reliable fitting tool may lower these barriers, making Wildberries more attractive for fashion purchases. However, success will hinge on localization, Turkish sizing, modest fashion considerations, and local payment and return systems integration.

Wildberries in the United Arab Emirates – UAE

Wildberries has taken a different route in the UAE, positioning itself as a bridge for local sellers to access Eurasian markets. Deliveries from the Emirates are promised within six days, aided by automated customs clearance.

The virtual fitting room complements this strategy well. UAE-based fashion brands and SMEs can present their products to millions of Wildberries customers across Russia and Central Asia with greater confidence that buyers will get the right fit. In a market where consumers value premium service and technological sophistication, the new feature enhances Wildberries’ credibility as more than just a bargain platform.

The launch of the virtual fitting room illustrates a turning point for Wildberries. Once focused almost exclusively on scaling new markets, warehouses, and pick-up points, it is now signalling a commitment to experience and innovation. This evolution is crucial if Wildberries wants to remain competitive in diverse and demanding markets outside Russia.

Wildberries’ virtual fitting room is both an experiment and a gamble. If successful, it could redefine how the company is perceived in Türkiye, the UAE, and beyond, less as a Russian export platform and more as a global e-commerce innovator. If it fails, however, it risks exposing the weaknesses of logistics delays, lack of localisation, and limited customer support that competitors could exploit.

Despite its promise, the virtual fitting room faces significant hurdles. If the technology produces inaccurate results, it may erode rather than build trust. For sellers, adapting product listings to the new system could mean extra costs, from higher-quality photos to more precise measurement data. Moreover, neither Türkiye nor the UAE is short of competitors. Platforms like Trendyol and Noon already offer fast local deliveries and easy returns. Wildberries must prove that its tech-driven approach can match or exceed these advantages.

Either way, the fitting room is a telling metaphor: Wildberries is trying a new identity for size. The question now is whether it fits.