The Gist: Some reports say that Amazon isn’t captivating fashion followers, and our data seem to tell a similar story. When looking at 20 brands and retailers that over-index against the general population over the years, Amazon has moved down the list. Others, such as Forever 21 and Bloomingdale’s, have climbed the ladder.

This week, I read an article in Bloomberg saying that Amazon is doing a great job selling clothes, but it’s not doing a great job selling fashion. Its most common items are from brands like Hanes, rather than those catering to a different audience. I wondered – is this true? Are fashion fanatics shopping elsewhere, or is Amazon a prime shopping destination for those on all ends of the Sex and the City spectrum?

The data were surprising, and led me on a broader path.

But first, Amazon.

Initially, I found that fashion followers – which for the purposes of this post I consider to be anyone who says that fashion trends affect what they wear either a lot or a little – have had a slight but noticeable drop in their favorability towards Amazon. Check it out:

Pre-2016:

Before 2016, 69% of fashion followers were fans of shopping on Amazon

Post-2017:

This year, 64% of fashion followers are fans of Amazon, compared to 69% before 2016.

As you can see, 69% of fashion followers had a favorable view of shopping on Amazon before the start of 2016, while the same is true for only 64% this year.

That said, the majority of fashion followers, overall, still have a favorable view of Amazon.

So, is there some truth to the article I read? Yes, but….

I wanted to know what brands and retailers over-index against the general population when we focus solely on fashion followers, and specifically if Amazon makes the list.

Check it out:

Top 20 Brands / Retailers Pre-2016:

Before the start of 2016, here were 20 brands that over-indexed among fashion followers (i.e. those who like or love to shop there), when compared to the general population.

  1. Lululemon
  2. REI
  3. Saks Fifth Avenue
  4. Macy’s
  5. The Limited
  6. J Crew
  7. Nordstrom
  8. Banana Republic
  9. TJ Maxx
  10. Target
  11. H&M
  12. Bloomingdale’s
  13. Marshall’s
  14. Nordstrom Rack
  15. Kohl’s
  16. Express
  17. Old Navy
  18. JC Penney
  19. Neiman Marcus
  20. Ross

And just missing the cut off at #21: Amazon.

Did the company make the list today?

Post-2017

This year, here are the 20 brands that over-index among fashion followers (i.e. those who like or love to shop there), when compared to the general population.

  1. Lulemon
  2. Bloomingdale’s
  3. Saks Fifth Avenue
  4. Forever 21
  5. Nordstrom Rack
  6. Neiman Marcus
  7. Barney’s New York
  8. H&M
  9. Banana Republic
  10. Nordstrom
  11. J Crew
  12. Express
  13. TJ Maxx
  14. Abercrombie & Fitch
  15. The Limited
  16. GAP
  17. Marshall’s
  18. Macy’s
  19. Victoria’s Secret
  20. Old Navy

And now at #26: Amazon.

So, these numbers seem to support the recent research that Amazon is not quite captivating fashion-forward consumers.

To take a more visual look at how these lists have changed over the years, check out the infographic below. Important note: by no means am I graphic designer, so I hope you’ll bear with me on the design 🙂

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An infographic showing a side-by-side comparison of which brands, like Amazon, over-index among fashion trend followers.

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