Amazon is well known for its uses for FMCG products, tech, books and more but it’s fashion segment is slowly growing in popularity. It currently stands as the most popular online-only fashion retailer, making it an ideal platform for selling your clothes online to reach a wider audience. But what is it and how does it work for brands?
What is Amazon Fashion?
Amazon fashion is a sector within the ever-growing Amazon marketplace offering a place for shoppers to find a wide range of clothing, shoes, handbags, jewellery and more. It offers innovative solutions for shoppers and unique selling opportunities for big brands.
In this blog, we’ll dive deeper into what this means for shoppers and those selling on Amazon fashion.
What does Amazon Fashion offer shoppers?
Buying online can be a risky business for shoppers especially for smaller brands who may be less well known. How will they know the quality, will it fit right, will it suit them? Amazon believes that AI can answer these questions for shoppers to ensure a streamlined experience.
- AI-driven size recommendations: they have developed a deep learning-based algorithm to help shoppers find the right size on any product. It takes into consideration the sizing relationships between brands and their size systems, product reviews and other details, and a customer’s own fit preferences. The feature then recommends in real-time the best-fitting size for a customer.
- AI-generated Fit Review Highlights: Like the size recommendations, Amazon will also pull out the size information from the reviews so that shoppers don’t have to read hundreds of reviews to come to a consensus.
- Virtual try-on: for certain products such as shoes and sunglasses, shoppers can now virtually try on fashion product to see them from every angle and if it will suit them.
How to start selling on Amazon Fashion?
1. Set up your Amazon Fashion Account
Once you’ve created an Amazon seller account you’ll need to choose a suitable business plan. You can opt for the ‘individual’ plan where fees are only charged per item sold, or the ‘professional’ plan with a monthly fee offering access to advanced sales and inventory tools (we recommend this option for brands).
Understanding Amazon’s rules is crucial for apparel sellers. Adhere strictly to their policies to avoid seller penalties, such as restrictions on selling certain brands and the requirement to sell only new, authentic apparel. You can utilise the Amazon Seller App for quick verification of item restrictions through its barcode-scanning feature.
Ensure you enrol in Amazon Brand Registry to unlock a feast of tools and features to protect your brand and elevate your content offering. Find out more about Amazon Brand Registry here.
2. Create an Amazon store and start listing
A digital storefront serves as a vital touchpoint to show off your brand mission, story and products. Utilising Amazon’s Stores builder, you can create a compelling, multi-page branded shopping experience. Make sure to use high-quality photography and graphics to showcase your brand in the best possible light. Consider the user experience and flow of the pages to ensure it is easy for shoppers to navigate and find what they are looking for.
When you are prepared to list your products, the following best practices will optimise your clothing listings:
- Present various colour, print, and size options for a single item by linking multiple child ASINs to a parent ASIN.
- Craft detailed product descriptions that highlight key features and benefits, and strategically incorporate keywords to improve search ranking.
- Include high-quality product images that showcase essential details such as materials and patterns.
- Enhance your product pages with A+ Content, featuring sizing charts, brand information, and additional resources.
Effective use of bullet points, relevant keywords, and comprehensive product titles can aid shoppers in not only finding your listings but will also help them make purchasing decisions, ultimately reducing the likelihood of returns.
3. Ensure prices are optimised
Start by checking out what similar products are going for. Dive into your competitive categories on Amazon, find items like the ones your brand sells, and see what your competitors are charging. Keep your target audience in mind and use these tips to nail the perfect selling price.
First, calculate your margins by considering all your expenses. This includes the cost of buying your goods, and fees for storage and shipping. Don’t forget to factor in customer service costs, like handling returns—apparel makes up 75% of all online retail returns! Plus, restocking items and dealing with lost or damaged goods can also affect your profits.
If you’ve set what you think are the right prices, but the clothes still aren’t selling, try special deals and promotions to boost your sales. Think seasonal sales, offering coupons, and exploring other digital advertising options to move that inventory.
4. Storage, Inventory Management, and Fulfilment Options
A well-organised storage facility and robust inventory management system are crucial for any online clothing business. Choose a storage facility that meets your specific needs, ensuring proper conditions to prevent weather or humidity damage. Implementing an effective inventory management system helps track stock levels, identify popular items for restocking, and manage slow-moving inventory. This approach optimises sales through timely replenishment and strategic promotions, enhancing customer satisfaction with reliable product availability and prompt order fulfilment.
When it comes to fulfilment, efficient processes are key. As an Amazon seller, you can choose between Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) or Fulfilment by Seller (FBS). FBS is advantageous if you have an established system or manage smaller quantities with adequate storage, allowing you to handle your own packaging and labelling, and offering greater control over profit margins. Seller Fulfilled Prime lets you deliver Prime-eligible products directly from your facility, boosting customer appeal.
Managing apparel sales also requires a solid plan for ‘reverse logistics,’ particularly for returns and exchanges. This aspect can be challenging, especially for distant or international customers, but is essential for maintaining smooth operations and high customer satisfaction. By effectively managing storage, inventory, and fulfilment, you can ensure your online clothing business runs efficiently and successfully.
5. Advertising and marketing your clothing
Advertising and marketing your online clothing store can significantly enhance its visibility and reach a larger audience. Amazon’s platform offers proprietary tools designed to boost your store’s presence. Amazon advertising also provides analytics to gauge ad effectiveness, helping you craft effective branding solutions.
Leveraging social media platforms is equally crucial in today’s digital landscape. Social media marketing campaigns give you valuable insights into your target audience’s preferences through interactions and analytics. This data facilitates targeted promotional efforts, such as sponsored ads and focused campaigns, further bolstering your online presence.
To drive traffic to your clothing brand, consider marketing across different online sales channels. Here are some ideas:
- Collaborate with social media influencers to generate interest in your brand.
- Use content marketing, such as blog posts and email campaigns, to engage with loyal customers.
By combining Amazon’s powerful tools with strategic social media marketing and diverse online sales channels, you can effectively promote your clothing store and reach a wider audience.
The benefits of selling on Amazon Fashion
Selling on Amazon Fashion has many perks compared to running a physical store. You’ll deal with less paperwork, lower overhead costs, and easier staff management. Plus, you can reach a broader market—locally, nationally, or internationally—beyond the limitations of a brick-and-mortar store.
While customers can’t physically touch the clothes, Amazon’s vast selection and generous return policies make up for it. This makes now a perfect time to dive into an eCommerce venture specializing in apparel. Whether you’re a fashion designer showcasing your creations or curating a collection from various brands, eCommerce presents a promising opportunity.
Here’s why Amazon is a great platform for selling clothes:
- Ready-Made Platform: Amazon handles everything from listing products to processing payments and showcasing images. You don’t need to build a website from scratch—just follow Amazon’s procedures to list your items.
- Support Functions: Amazon offers streamlined delivery options, customer support services, and effective advertising tools. You won’t need to worry about maintaining the site or dealing with technical issues; Amazon’s dedicated teams have you covered.
- Vast Customer Base: Selling on Amazon gives you access to a huge audience actively searching for clothing, increasing the visibility of your products without needing customers to visit a separate website.
These advantages make Amazon a great choice for anyone looking to succeed in the online fashion business. If you need help setting up you Amazon fashion account or would like expert advertising and designers to help you optimise your listing. Get in contact with us today!
