Amazon to open tech-forward brick-and-mortar apparel store

Marketplace giant Amazon has revealed it will be opening its first physical fashion store, Amazon Style, complete with a number of technology-led in-store shopping experiences.

The store will feature both known brands and emerging designers, with clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women.

Designed to be digital-first, customers will be able to use the Amazon Shopping app throughout the store where QR codes will be displayed next to products showing their size, colours, customer ratings and more. Through the app, they can also ‘send’ an item to the fitting rooms or directly to the pickup counter, eliminating the need to “sift through racks” for what the company said will be a less cluttered in-store experience.

In the announcement, Amazon Style’s managing director, Simoina Vasen, said the store “combines Amazon’s love of fashion with innovative technology and world-class operations to help customers find looks they’ll love”.

To further drive this goal, machine learning algorithms will also be used, aiming to create personalised recommendations in real-time as customers shop. A further option to share information on personal preferences will be available in order to receive more refined suggestions.

An updated fitting room experience

A main feature, according to Amazon, will be the store’s fitting rooms, where, on entering, customers will find the items they requested while browsing, as well as additional options based on their preferences. From the room, customers can then request more items and sizes to be directly delivered to them through the company’s on-site operations.

Amazon’s extensive fulfilment centre network will additionally allow it to continuously update the store’s selection, connecting with brands that are already displayed on the marketplace, as well as new ones. Any item a customer scans in-store will be saved in the Amazon Shopping app, allowing them to easily purchase the item at a later date.

The first Amazon Style store is set to open later this year at Los Angeles shopping destination, The Americana at Brand.