Amazon opens its first clothing store in a California shopping mall Retail News

Entering commercial stores could be another threat to traditional clothing retailers because of the data and consumer insights that Amazon can get, retail experts say.

First, it competed with Amazon malls. Now, he’s moving inside one.

The online retail giant said it plans to open a clothing store on Thursday in a southern California shopping mall later this year. This is the latest entry from Amazon Brick Sales, which already sells more than 10 percent of all clothing in the United States.

The store, which sells women’s and men’s clothing and footwear and other accessories, will open at Americana at Brand, a mall in Glendale, California. Getting into shopping malls could be another threat to traditional clothing retailers because of the data and buyer insights that Amazon can get, experts say.

Amazon says its algorithms will throw out real-time recommendations as buyers continue to scan items they see. Buyers can also complete an online survey about style and accuracy preferences.

The store will be about 2,787 square meters (30,000 square feet), similar to a Kohl’s, but a third of other large stores like Macy’s. However, as traditional stores do, it will offer more than double the number of styles, as only one of each item will be on display, as the rest are in the back room. Items are chosen by Amazon executives who also use the feedback of millions of customers who shop on Amazon.com.

Simoina Vasen, managing director of Amazon Style, declined to comment on plans to expand the new store concept or sales projections. Amazon did not provide a specific date for the opening of the Glendale store.

Amazon removed Walmart last year as the largest clothing retailer in the coronavirus pandemic as more people started shopping online.

Wells Fargo predicted in March that Amazon’s clothing and footwear sales would grow by about 15 percent in the U.S. by 2020, to more than $ 41 billion. It’s about 20-25 percent more than Walmart and the share of 11 to 12 percent of all clothing sold in the U.S..

Amazon has been making a big splash in fashion in recent years with its labels, and in September 2020, it launched an online store called Luxury Stores.

Amazon Style store shoppers can browse items on the screen and scan a QR code to see sizes, colors, and customer ratings. Buyers can send their products to the locker room or directly to the store counter. Once in a test room, customers can order other items using the touch screen.

“Amazon Style completely re-enacts what’s possible in the locker room, turning it into a personalized space where customers can continue to buy a seemingly endless style wardrobe,” Vasen wrote in an Amazon blog.

Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said the prototype store could deepen Amazon’s impact on the industry, especially among clothing buyers who love the experience of exploring and exploring physical stores. And Amazon can make it possible with more shopping data.

But he also warned that Amazon’s success depends on execution.

“Traditionally, it’s not very good to create a great in-store experience,” Saunders said. “It’s usually very strong in technology and operations, but it can fail in spirit and soul; both are especially important in a fashion where consumers love inspiration, curation and personal service.”