Having established Amazon Go - a chain of convenience stores without checkouts that specializes primarily in prepared and packaged food;
And Amazon 4-Star - a premium store that only offers products that have been rated at least 4 stars in the online store;
And after taking over the prestigious Whole Foods Market (and even planning to open two freezer branches next year), the already-not-only-online retail giant is marking its next retail destination: small to medium-sized department stores, which will focus on clothing, belongings For home and various gadgets.
Amazon, Photo: AFP
The Wall Street Journal reports from reliable but anonymous sources that Amazon is strong in the matter and has already marked San Francisco, California, and Columbus, Ohio, USA, as destinations for the pilot branches of the new department store chain.
So how will the business work?
In general, department stores will also be cashless.
Consumers will purchase the products by scanning a barcode on the phone and will be able to continue on their way, just as is customary on Amazon Go.
However, it is known that it is customary to measure clothes before buying them.
And unlike a Camembert sandwich, a cortado cup or a crumble salad, choosing a garment takes a little longer.
Amazon Warehouse, Photo: Reuters
Therefore, it is estimated that the customer will choose the clothes he wants to measure by phone.
An employee of the store (or robot) will bring the items to the upgraded dressing room, where the customer will measure the clothes in the usual way, but not only: if a particular item he does not like and he would like to change size or color, for example, the room will be equipped with a touch screen. It will be possible to order the alternative items, which may even be sent to it via an automatic rail.
Not content with occupying space: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Photo: AP / Tony Gutierrez
And what about the supply?
Well, Amazon will probably prefer to focus mainly on its home brands, such as Amazon Essentials in the fashion field, but it is too early to know what the final merchandise mix will be, which will surely change over time.
Either way, Amazon is currently refusing to comment on rumors, which will likely soon turn out to be true.
