Get ready for Amazon’s own private-label clothing line
Amazon could be one step closer to launching its own private-label clothing brand, according to the fashion news site WWD.
The report says that Amazon has been ramping up hiring for its Amazon Fashion Private Label team recently, including one position that’s described as, “an entrepreneurial, analytical, and highly motivated [senior] sourcing manager to join our team to launch new high-quality products for our global customers.”
“They will be an expert at selecting factories across the globe that can reliably deliver products on spec at high quality levels and targeted costs,” the job description said.
Another opening we found under the senior software engineer position describes Amazon’s fashion ambition in a little more detail: “When you think of buying new clothing, shoes, watches and jewelry, do you think of Amazon? Not yet? Well, we are going to change that.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of Amazon launching its own fashion brand. Last year, Buzzfeed reported that Amazon may get into the private-label fashion business, quoting Amazon Fashion’s VP of clothing Jeff Yurcisin. Amazon has also been scooping up online fashion stores, like ShopBop, MyHabit, and EastDane. Last year, Amazon sponsored the New York Men’s Fashion Week for the first time, according to another WWD report.
But it’s unlikely the new Amazon-branded clothing line will be in the luxury market. Jennie Perry, chief marketing officer of Amazon’s fashion division, said in an interview with the Business of Fashion last year that entering the luxury market is not something it’s interested in, as it’s more focused on “developing an experience for our large customer base.”
Regardless, Amazon’s total share of the US apparel market is expected to jump from 5% of the total in 2014 to 14% by 2020, making it the largest domestic apparel retailer, replacing the current leader, Macy’s.
