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:
Post-2017:
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.
- Lululemon
- REI
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Macy’s
- The Limited
- J Crew
- Nordstrom
- Banana Republic
- TJ Maxx
- Target
- H&M
- Bloomingdale’s
- Marshall’s
- Nordstrom Rack
- Kohl’s
- Express
- Old Navy
- JC Penney
- Neiman Marcus
- 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.
- Lulemon
- Bloomingdale’s
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Forever 21
- Nordstrom Rack
- Neiman Marcus
- Barney’s New York
- H&M
- Banana Republic
- Nordstrom
- J Crew
- Express
- TJ Maxx
- Abercrombie & Fitch
- The Limited
- GAP
- Marshall’s
- Macy’s
- Victoria’s Secret
- 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 🙂
[shade-open-form]
[shade-close-form]
