While I would like to assume, along with many in the industry, that Amazon will not succeed in their push to sell high-end clothing and accessories, I am very interested to see what Jeff Bezos' persistence can achieve. I also believe there's a bigger reason behind the interest in luxury fashion, because that market is fairly small, compared to Amazon's market prowess and goals. Is it attracting that customer to buy other things? Attracting other vendors with the allure of luxury brands listing on the site?
Currently only 16 of the top 100 global prestige brands sell on Amazon, according to L2. My guess is that most brands will watch and wait to determine if and when there is ever a need to jump onto Amazon. Personally, I hope that takes a long time. Other, much smaller sites, are working hard to curate and create an optimal luxury shopping experience online. Yes, many customers want a discounted designer item, but the allure of the purchase must remain, and buying from Amazon completely removes that feeling.
“It’s a prize that everybody would love to get. The idea is that if luxury brands will work with you, everyone else would fall in line,” said Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru... “The truth is, Amazon is not Neiman Marcus, and the consumer recognizes that.”
Business of Fashion: "Jeff Bezos Makes Another Push for Amazon Fashion. Will it Work?"