Amazon Style Continues Brick and Mortar Innovation

In yet another push for retail marketshare, Amazon has opened its second physical Amazon Style store, in Columbus, Ohio.

The first Style store opened in Glendale, California at The Americana at Brand. For the past several years, Amazon has been working hard on building credibility as a fashion marketplace, which hasn’t been easy since most customers still see Amazon as a warehouse rather than as style arbiter.

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We’re betting that more and more retailers will invest incunified virtual, e-comm, and brick-and-mortar experiences.

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With Amazon Style, customers scan a product’s QR code using the Amazon app and instantly add it to  a fitting room, or they can send products directly to the front counter for purchase. The curated experience includes additional services such as add-on products selected by staff which are then added to the customer’s fitting room.

Amazon’s strategy includes men’s wear, banking on data that underscores how men use Amazon to make fashion purchases.

Think of it as everything most brick-and-mortar brands haven’t been doing. If Barneys had taken such a proactive approach to engaging with shoppers, would they still be open?

The brand has also invested in Influencers who act as Amazon stylists, with areas of the store merchandised with shoppable looks  to showcase each Influencer’s style.

It’s still a work in progress, however. We couldn’t help noticing that the store lacked marquee names. Instead, we found mostly middle-brow brands like Calvin Klein, Lacoste, Levi’s, BB Dakota and Dolce Vita, bolstered with several of Amazon’s own private labels. No doubt this is an incubator to demonstrate the concept’s potential to brands that haven’t signed on yet.

Shoppers use the Amazon app to select merchandise either before going in the store or while shopping. Items can then be sent to their fitting room or to the front counter.

In the meantime. Amazon has pulled back on all other brick-and-mortar venture including pop-ups and it’s highly touted 4-Star stores, which left many feeling like they were shopping a showroom rather than a store.

We’re betting that more and more retailers will invest in unified virtual, e-comm, and brick-and-mortar experiences — that is, if they can upgrade their back-of-house infrastructure. For the most part, “omnichannel” has existed as mostly a buzzword with noticeable gaps in the seamless experience. Even fast-fashion brand Zara continues to have a disconnect with what’s available online versus in store, with no “reserve in store” or stock transparency.

Let’s see if Amazon’s influence can change that.

All images courtesy amazon.com.

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