Amazon set to launch first fashion store this year in US

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Amazon will open a tech-driven clothing store in Southern California later this year, a first for the online giant.

FindYourStyle

To buy or try on an item, shoppers can scan a QR code using the Amazon app

The store, which will open at The Americana at Brand mall in Los Angeles, will span 30,000 sq ft. Amazon Style will sell both women’s and men’s clothing, as well as shoes and accessories.

The online behemoth said the store would stock items from both well-known and emerging brands, but did not specify which.

Amazon plans to show only one sample of each item on the shopfloor, with the majority of the clothing hidden from customer view at the back.

The online giant said this move will allow Amazon Style to stock double the selection of a normal store as a result. To buy or try on an item, shoppers can scan a QR code using the Amazon app.

Items customers request to try on will then be sent directly to a fitting room, which will feature a touchscreen, allowing customers to browse for similar options, rate products or request new sizes.

The app will also produce real-time recommendations for shoppers throughout their visit as they scan items.

Consumers will have the option of sharing information around their size and style preferences to receive more detailed suggestions from Amazon.

Deals will also be personalised, although in-store prices will remain unchanged from the website.

Amazon customers will be able to purchase items online that they discover in store, while all scanned items will be saved in the app following a visit to the store.

Amazon will also introduce its own click-and-collect initiative, permitting consumers to first shop online and then try on in store before purchase.

Amazon style managing director Simoina Vasen told Reuters: “We wouldn’t do anything in physical retail unless we felt we could significantly improve the customer experience.”

The move to bricks and mortar comes following the news last year that Amazon had surpassed Walmart as the top apparel retailer in the US, according to Wells Fargo.

The opening of an apparel store also marks the latest instalment in Amazon’s ongoing engagement with physical retail. The retailer also operates grocery stores, both in the US and the UK, powered by its Just Walk Out technology, and owns the Whole Foods Market chain.

The online giant also recently opened two of its 4 Star stores in Bluewater and Westfield shopping centres.