Is Amazon The Future Of Fashion? Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger say yes!
亚马逊是时尚的未来吗？Calvin Klein和Tommy Hilfiger说是!
对百货公司而言，这似乎是一个糟糕的阶段，我们有了一个全新的购买设计师产品的方式。亚马逊曾经只是一个购买基础商品 （如书籍、DVD 和办公用品）的在线购物平台，它现在正席卷着整个奢侈品时装行业，而设计师们不反对而且实际上还在追捧这一平台！
It seems it’s a bad time for department stores and we could be seeing a completely new way of shopping for designer goods. Once just an online platform for buying simple goods such as books, DVD’s and office supplies, Amazon is taking the luxury fashion industry by a storm and designers are not only letting them but actually advocating it!
A recent report from Nomura shows that Amazon now carries a larger selection of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger goods compared to the infamous American department stores JCPenney and Macy’s. In the past, these department stores were synonymous with carrying full ranges of true American designers’ most recent collections, however things are changing and brands are choosing to move away from having such a big presence in department stores in order to protect their brand identity and increase sales.
野村证券公司(Nomura)最近的一份报告显示，与名声渐消的美国 JCPenney 百货公司和Macy’s百货公司相比，亚马逊现在推出了更多的Calvin Klein和Tommy Hilfiger商品。在过去，这些百货公司曾供应着大多数的美国设计师的最新原创设计，但时过境迁，许多品牌选择离开这样大百货公司，以保护品牌形象并提高销量。
Amazon’s Rise To Fashion
Amazon seem to have got their claws into everything from basic goods to self publishing and even movie streaming and now they are aiming to boost their fashion collections. With such reputable designers as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger backing this movement, it’s a clear sign that the way we purchase fashion is changing, possibly forever. Nike and J.Crew have also jumped on the Amazon bandwagon and we’re sure it won’t be long before other popular brands follow suit. This move into virtual shopping won’t come as a surprize to anyone who keeps up with technology and shopper behaviour, as more and more, consumers are buying online and physical store purchases are declining.
亚马逊之时尚崛起
亚马逊似乎已经涉足基本商品，个人出版, 甚至电影, 现在他们的目标是进军时尚产业。著名的设计师Calvin Klein和Tommy Hilfiger支持这一运动, 这一迹象表明, 我们购买时尚产品的方式正在改变,而且是颠覆性的。Nike和 J.Crew也进入了亚马逊的行列, 我们相信不久之后其他流行品牌也会效仿。对于任何跟得上技术和消费者行为的人来说, 虚拟购物并不惊奇, 越来越多的消费者选择网络购物，实体商店的购买量正在下降。
Selling high quality fashion garments on Amazon also has the potential to help propel private label brands and start ups to market with less than half the risk of setting up a physical boutique or store. There are of course a few hoops to jump through when it comes to applying to sell on Amazon but it is relatively easy in comparison to convincing a high end department store to stock a brand label no has heard of yet. This means that new start up brands have the opportunity to sell their products side by side with well known fashion brands from their infancy without having to match their reputation.
在亚马逊销售的高品质时装，也有可能帮助推动自有品牌和初创品牌推广, 承担的风险不到建立实体精品店的一半。当然, 申请在亚马逊上开店, 要通过一些审核, 但相对说服一家高端百货公司接受从未听说过的品牌来说，还是比较容易的。这意味着初创的品牌从一开始有机会与知名时尚品牌同场竞技，即使知名度天差地别。
折扣对品牌声誉损害
许多品牌在乎的另一个问题是，百货公司通过不间断的促销和折扣活动来削减库存。Michael Kors很清楚地表示要成比例缩减百货公司供货量存来保护他们的奢侈品品牌形象。通过避开百货公司，转而和亚马逊等网上平台合作, 他们可以控制价格和促销活动,以及让特定的产品保持一定的稀缺度， 从而保证商品符合高端奢侈品品牌的定位。当然, Michael Kors并不是个例, Coach 和 Ralph Lauren也对这一事实表示了担忧, 因为打折商品的确损害了品牌声誉和其标志性地位。
Discounted Goods Damage Brand Reputation
Another problem many brands have called out department stores for is their continuous promotions and discounts put on their stock. Michael Kors has been very vocal about the need to scale back on the stock his brand allows department stores to carry in order to protect their luxury image. By pulling away from department stores and potentially towards Amazon, they can have control over pricing and promotions as well as making certain items less available to the mass market, positioning the brand as the exclusive luxury brand it once was. Of course, Michael Kors isn’t alone, Coach and Ralph Lauren have also voiced concern over the fact that discounted goods are damaging to a brands reputation and iconic status.
Benefitting From Try Before You buy
Another option that brands are benefiting from by selling through Amazon is their new try before you buy offer for Amazon Prime customers named Prime Wardrobe. The concept allows consumers to select three or more goods across fashion apparel, shoes, bags and accessories to be delivered to their home without paying a single penny. From there, they have seven days to try on the products in the comfort of their own home, decide what they want to keep and simply ship anything they decide they don’t want, back to Amazon using the provided returns label.
另一个亚马逊让品牌商家受益的举措是，亚马逊的prime会员可以享受名为Prime衣橱的先试后买服务。这个概念具体做法是：允许消费者选择三样或更多的商品, 包括服装、鞋履、袋子和配件等，并要求商家寄他们的家中, 无需支付一分钱。然后, 他们有七天的时间舒舒服服地试用这些产品,来 决定他们要还是不要，不想要的, 贴上亚马逊的退货标签，寄回即可。
Customers will only be charged for the goods they don’t return and to make the returns stress free, Amazon send the products in a re-sealable box you simply have to drop off at your local UPS. This is a real incentive for potential customers to get up close and personal with designer goods without committing to a purchase and without the sometimes intimidating luxury shopping environment. Unfortunately, it’s only available to those who already pay for Amazon Prime however even at this, Amazon Prime is affordable and extremely cost effective if you plan to purchase regularly from Amazon. Furthermore, Prime Wardrobe isn’t limited to just womenswear but is available for menswear, kidswear and babywear too.
消费者只要为他们想买下来的商品付钱，为了方便消费者退货， 亚马逊的快递盒是可以重新封上的，然后只要把快递盒交给附近的UPS可以了。这对潜在顾客来说是很好的刺激， 他们可以零距离体验设计师产品， 而且是在私人空间，能后避免在奢侈品店那种环境里的不知所措。然而， 只有买了亚马逊Prime会员的人才有资格享受这一服务，所幸亚马逊Prime会员价格还算合理，如果是准备经常在亚马逊购物，还是很划算的。另外， Prime衣橱服务不仅包括女装， 还有男装， 幼儿服饰和婴儿服饰。
先试后买的好处
Not Everyone Agrees Though
There’s always two sides to every argument and there are some compelling points which suggest that Amazon may not be the global giant they are in ten years’ time. Up until the early 2000’s Walmart dominated the retail world however by 2015 they posted their very first sales decline and since then it has not been their last. Shopping behaviour changed while Walmart stayed stagnant, sticking to their sales tactics that had worked for decades before. The point of this is that even giant global businesses can fall and according to Doug Stephens on behalf of Business of Fashion, Amazon could be next. Just because what made a business successful in the beginning, doesn’t mean that’s what will make them successful in the future.
It’s also true that while shopping on Amazon is efficient and effective, it’s not really fun. There’s a social aspect to shopping, particularly if you don’t know what you want and an excuse for women to get together with their girlfriends. We can’t imagine a world where groups of friends gather to each others homes or to a Starbucks, laptops in tow, ready for a group shopping experience. Technology and virtual shopping would have to come a long way before shopping online becomes just as much a form of entertainment and socialisation as real life shopping does.
不是每个人都同意
每个争论都有两面性, 有一些令人信服的观点表明, 十年后亚马逊可能不再是全球巨头。2000年初,沃尔玛主宰了零售世界, 但到了 2015年,出现了首次销售下滑，之后更是一路向下。在沃尔玛停滞不前的时候, 购物行为发生了变化, 沃尔玛却沿用着几十年前销售策略。这意味着即使是庞大的全球性企业都有可能没落， 根据Doug Stephens为代表的时尚业人士, 认为亚马逊可能是下一个沃尔玛。因为一个企业在一开始就能获得成功, 并不意味着这他在未来也能取得成功。
实际上 虽然亚马逊购物是高效的, 它并不是很好玩。购物具有社会意义, 特别是当你不知道想要什么, 或是姑娘们想找个借口聚聚的时候，你都可以选择购物。我们无法想象这样的世界： 一群朋友聚在家里, 或到星巴克拿着笔记本电脑, 准备集体购物。在网上购物和实体购物一样成为一种娱乐和社会化的形式之前，技术还有待发展，虚拟购物还有很长的路要走。
