Amazon Prime is ending one of its most popular perks this month - and AI is to blame

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There are a multitude of perks to being an Amazon Prime Member, including next day delivery, early access to lighting deals and exclusive discounts. However, on Monday the company announced that they will be stopping one of its most popular services.

The end of this month will see the end of members being able to place orders using their subscriber benefit of 'Try Before You Buy'. This option lets shoppers try on select clothing, accessories and shoes before buying the item and is to terminate on January 31.

The company has confirmed that this service will now be phasing out due to limited reach and increasing use of AI features to try on clothing. The feature was first launched way back in 2018, after being trailed through a feature called Prime Wardrobe in 2017.

'Try Before You Buy' was created to solve issues around online shopping - will it fit and will I suit it? The feature allowed paying members to select up to six items, that were part of the scheme, from their broad range of shoes and clothing.

The items would then be sent to the customers at no extra cost, where they would be given a seven days to try-on period. Customers could then choose to return the item without being charged. Many people used the perk to try on different sizes of the same item.

A spokesperson from Amazon has said: "Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we’re phasing out the Try Before You Buy option."

Fashion deal of the week

January is always a time when we try to embrace our inner chill after all the hustle and bustle of the festive period.

Since many of us dress up fancy throughout December, there is nothing better than easing into the New Year with some comfy loungewear. If you need to update your casual wardrobe, we know exactly one pair of joggers to buy.

Next shoppers have been heaping praise on the Cargo Jersey Joggers that won't cost you an arm and a leg at just £22 per pair. Crafted from a soft jersey fabric, they have been praised as "pure comfort" in glowing reviews.

Unlike your standard joggers, this pair are a little trendier thanks to the classic utility cargo design that mean they can be worn "smart or casual". This means you can wear them pretty much anywhere, whether that be at home, at the office, and even when travelling.

The design features cargo pockets to store your smaller essentials, cuffed ankles and an elasticated waistband for comfort. Sizes range from a six through 18 for both regular and petite lengthways, with three colours available - black, khaki and navy.

Next's Cargo Jersey Joggers have become such a hit with shoppers looking to relax in style they have earned an average 4.5 rating, as they rush to snap up multiple pairs to wear when lounging or out and about.

A delighted customer wrote: "Super Comfy, looks nice but pure comfort."

Purchase Next's Cargo Jersey Joggers for £22 here.

Read more here: Next's £22 joggers that 'never go out of style' hailed by shoppers as 'pure comfort'

On hearing the news, people on Reddit expressed how they feel about saying goodbye to this feature. One person said: "That’s such a bummer, but I’m not surprised. It’s seemed harder to find on their app every time I’ve used it over the last year or two, and I’m sure it was abused.

I’ll miss the option to use it for shoes - that’s really where I found it the most helpful."

Another is happy to see the feature go. They expressed: "Good, it was a stupid scheme. I don't know how it worked in the US but in the UK it was pointless - while you didn't pay for all the items a hold was put on your card for the full amount, then you had to wait days after items were sent back before the hold was lifted - it was actually easier to pay for everything and then get a refund for items not needed."

However, a third said that they will miss the feature: "It’s too bad the feature is disappearing. I used it many times to try on clothing."

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