The outlook for physical retailers is grim, the sector roiled by store closings, layoffs and bankruptcies. This year, Amazon will surpass Macy’s, which last year announced it would shut 100 stores, to become the largest seller of apparel in America, by several analysts’ estimates.
It is looking at ways to keep expanding, too. Amazon is exploring the possibility of selling custom-fit clothing, tailored to the more precise measurements of customers, and it has considered acquiring clothing manufacturers to further expand its presence in the category.
Source: Toronto Star / New York Times
Date: May 18th, 2017
Discussion
1) “But there’s little chance Amazon will come to have in apparel the crushing dominance it has established in, say, books, because of the way clothing sales are fragmented among so many retailers.” Do you believe this statement? Wasn’t / isn’t book publishing incredibly fragmented also?
2) “The idea of buying clothing without first trying it on is still a deal breaker for many shoppers, even with the security of free returns. Amazon executives look at such hurdles as “friction,” which they are constantly seeking to eliminate.” How might Amazon reduce this “friction”?
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