Which Designer Brands Will Start Selling on Amazon With Saks?
Amazon is just about to take a step closer to its dream of building a real presence in luxury fashion.
Saks Global — which has been modernizing its business since buying Neiman Marcus in December — is preparing to open a shop on Amazon.
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“We have plans to launch a unique and exciting experience,” said Marc Metrick, Saks Global chief executive officer, as part of a wide-ranging interview with WWD on Friday.
An Amazon spokeswoman echoed that and added, “We’ll share more soon.”
Saks could land on Amazon in a couple of weeks, according to sources. It’s still not clear exactly how brands will be presented on the platform, if they’ll come in special packaging and so on. But Amazon certainly brings online muscle and Saks is a premier brand in luxury.
A Saks shop on Amazon has been quietly buzzed about in the industry since even before the e-commerce giant stepped in to participate in the Neiman Marcus acquisition.
It is an important connection for both companies as Amazon looks to the high end and Saks looks to reach more shoppers online.
Luxury fashion brands have largely avoided Amazon, even after the company launched its more refined Amazon Luxury Stores platform in 2020. But the web giant — always keen to serve up what its customers are looking for — has not given up on the high end.
It has made considerable progress in beauty. The Estée Lauder Cos., for instance, started rolling out its brands to the platform last year. And more fashion brands, like Coach, have set up shops to test the waters.
One fashion brand CEO said Saks has been careful to stress that it’s not going to try to pressure any brands to join in the shop.
But more brands seem to be curious about Amazon these days anyway.
“I think the day will come when we probably will” sell on Amazon, the CEO said. “But I don’t want to be the first guy on it and I don’t want to be the last guy on it. We’re not going to be the first out of the gate, but we’re watching the gate. If customers are buying full price, who cares where they’re going to shop.”
Gary Wassner, CEO of fashion financing company Hilldun Corporation, said, “A lot of brands are shipping merchandise that’s designated for Amazon.
“I haven’t heard any objections to it,” Wassner said. “It all depends on marketing and whether they still have that sense of Net-a-porter,” which is known for its online luxe vibes.
“It’s still premature, we have to see what it actually looks like when they launch,” he said of Amazon. “I trust Saks and Neimans to do things right. I really do. They’re dominating the luxury space now in the U.S. and I suspect that they’ll do the right thing by both their brands and their companies. I’m confident.”
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