Maybe it’s time to get out of the quarantine sweatpants.
Amazon has launched its Luxury Stores shopping experience, bringing high-end fashion to Prime members through the Amazon mobile app. The first brand to appear in the exclusive store is Oscar de la Renta.
“Step into the world of the opulent and exquisite,” a promotion for the designer’s collection reads on the online storefront.
Eligible Prime shoppers can only gain access to the experience with an emailed invitation from Amazon. If you didn’t get yours, you can request an invitation through the app or website. It’s not clear how Amazon will select shoppers. When I clicked the “request an invitation” button Tuesday morning, I was told I was “added to waitlist” and that invited customers will receive welcome emails “in the coming days.”
“We’re excited about creating an elevated and inspiring customer experience, while also infusing innovative technology to make shopping easier and more delightful,” Amazon Fashion President Christine Beauchamp told Vogue. She added that Amazon fashion customers overwhelmingly shop via mobile and that customers have ordered more than 1 billion fashion items on mobile in the past year.
Oscar de la Renta CEO Alex Bolen told the magazine that it makes sense for a luxury label to work with the world’s largest online retailer.
“This idea that you don’t want to speak to a customer where she’s spending a lot of her time is a mistake,” Bolen said.
The app experience includes 360-degree views of outfits, and Amazon says more brands will be added in the future, without revealing who those brands might be.
Endgadget reported that Amazon is giving brands independent power on pricing, inventory and selection, with the tech giant offering backend and “merchandising tools” support.
Amazon recently teamed with another high-end brand in a different way. The company joined Italian luxury designer Valentino in a counterfeit lawsuit alleging that another company knocked off a pair of the designer’s distinctive shoes and was selling them on Amazon.