Amazon will open a clothing store in Los Angeles, first
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San Francisco (AFP) – Amazon’s e-commerce empire is taking another step into the real world with plans announced Thursday to open a boutique in Los Angeles that would be its first brick-and-mortar clothing store.
An Amazon Style store to launch later this year will let customers use the retailer’s app to scan clothes’ QR codes, choose from sizes and colors, then have the items sent to fitting rooms for try them, according to a blog post.
The decision to expand its retail presence with a physical clothing store comes as authorities and competitors issue warnings that the Seattle-based company is accumulating too much control in the market.
The move would follow Amazon’s 2017 acquisition of grocery chain Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion, which significantly expanded the e-commerce giant’s presence in brick-and-mortar retail.
The Style store fitting rooms are designed to be a “personalized space” where shoppers will find the items they’ve requested through the app as well as added options based on their choices, according to Amazon.
“Our machine learning algorithms produce real-time, personalized recommendations for each customer as they shop,” Amazon said.
Customers will be able to share their style preferences within the app, if they wish, to better personalize recommendations. The app also allows users to view item reviews from other shoppers.
Touchscreens in fitting rooms will allow people to continue shopping, with items delivered “in minutes” for them to try on, according to Amazon.
“This fast delivery is made possible by Amazon Style’s on-premises operations, with advanced technologies and processes used in Amazon fulfillment centers,” the company said.
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