Based on a publication from Jamie Grill-Goodman in Retail Info Systems, Sneak Peek: First Amazon Style Store Opening in 2022.
Adelanto: apertura de la primera tienda Amazon Style en 2022
What would a high-tech apparel store look like? Amazon is answering that question.
If you’ve ever asked yourself how retail technology could reimagine the entire apparel store experience – it seems Amazon’s been asking the same question.
Before we get to their answer, a little history. Amazon private label apparel quietly arrived on the fashion scene in 2016. Amazon Fashion, the fashion retail division of Amazon.com, continues to expand its selection of apparel, shoes, accessories, jewelry, watches, handbags, and luggage, rolling out new experiences like Prime Wardrobe in 2017, allowing shoppers try before you buy, and Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe in 2019, a service that provides curated recommendations.
Perhaps most foretelling of all, the division entered fashion influencer retailing when it launched The Drop in 2019. The Drop releases limited-edition assortments of fashion items designed by global influencers. When customers purchase influencer-designed items, each piece is individually made on-demand. Shoppers can sign up for text alerts to learn when new collections “drop” and follow The Drop on Instagram.
And now Amazon is ready to take fashion offline, announcing it will open its first brick-and-mortar fashion store, Amazon Style, sporting women’s and men’s apparel, shoes, and accessories. The store is slated to open “later this year” at The Americana at Brand in Los Angeles, CA.
Amazon said the physical locale will house customer favorites, Amazon exclusives, and brands that are “new and noteworthy.” In the store “looks designed and inspired by top influencers” will be on display. And the technical aspects of the store start with how items are displayed.
Instead of housing available items on the floor, Amazon Style features display items, so customers won’t have to sift through cluttered racks. In the back, the store offers “more selection than a traditional store of its size—more than double the number of styles,” Amazon said.
Using the Amazon Shopping app, customers walk the store and scan an item’s QR code to see sizes, colors, overall customer ratings, and additional product details. With the tap of a button, they can then add the item to a fitting room or send it directly to the pickup counter. Amazon’s machine learning algorithms also produce tailored, real-time recommendations for each customer as they shop. Customers can also easily view deals in store that match their preferences in the Amazon Shopping app.
«As customers browse the store and scan items that catch their eye, we’ll recommend picks just for them,” the retailer said. “For an even more tailored experience, customers can share information like their style, fit, and other preferences to receive more refined recommendations.”
Moving on to the fitting room, shoppers will find the items they requested while browsing the store, plus additional options chosen based on their preferences. And if you’ve ever tried to get an attendant’s attention from behind a fitting room door, you’ll appreciate this next technology. Customers can carry on shopping from their fitting room without needing to leave. Using touchscreens, shoppers can request more styles and sizes to be delivered to their fitting room closet in minutes, as well as rate items to get new personalized picks in real time.
“This fast delivery is made possible by Amazon Style’s on-site operations, with advanced technologies and processes used in Amazon fulfillment centers,” Amazon said. Amazon Style uses the same technologies and processes as Amazon’s fulfillment centers to store more items that can be delivered from back-of-house to a customer within minutes.
Other innovations that enable the in-store experience include new complex inventory management systems, new technology to support customer service, and Amazon One palm recognition for fast and convenient checkout.
And what would an Amazon apparel store be without an endless aisle. In addition to items available for in-store purchase, shoppers can find and shop more styles online. «Millions» of apparel items on Amazon.com can be requested for delivery to Amazon Style so shoppers can try them on in a fitting room. If the customer doesn’t want the item they can return it in-store. Items scanned while in Amazon Style are also saved in the Amazon Shopping app so visitors can revisit and purchase later.
“Our physical retail team built several new technologies that work together to make it effortless for customers to discover items they’ll look and feel great in,” Amazon said. “This includes Amazon Style’s mobile shopping experience within the Amazon Shopping app and fitting room touchscreens, enabling customers to learn more about items they scan and to discover new brands as they shop. With Amazon Style’s advanced machine learning algorithms, we provide customers with personalized recommendations that match budget, fit, and style.”
This article was originally published in Retail Info Systems
