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While Amazon is said to be killing brick and mortar department stores, one portion where Amazon is weak is the premium and luxury fashion segment. While Amazon sells a few premium brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, other premium and/or true luxury brands such as Ralph Lauren and Cartier are only sold by third party sellers on Amazon.
I know some of these higher end brands refuse to do business with Amazon due to the marketplace being flooded with counterfeit items. I wonder, how can Amazon attract more of these premium and/or luxury brands?
Why does Amazon need high end brands? I like the site just the way it is.
While most of those brands are out of my price range, I am pretty sure Amazon has a lot of high-income customers who would like to order their favorite brand online, especially if it is a hard to find style that they can't find at the mall.
The benefit of the luxury/high-end brand is the experience. Amazon competes on price and wide assortment of goods.
Luxury brands like to control the customer experience and Amazon doesn't allow that and also has a terrible customer experience if you don't know what you want. They are diametrically opposed.
While most of those brands are out of my price range, I am pretty sure Amazon has a lot of high-income customers who would like to order their favorite brand online, especially if it is a hard to find style that they can't find at the mall.
I don't consider them true luxury brands, but I consider them to be premium brands. Premium is not the same as luxury. Premium I consider to be above mid-range, but below luxury.
Still, there are other premium and luxury brands that Amazon doesn't sell. For example, Amazon doesn't sell any products from Ralph Lauren other than the licensed out kids shoes line. They don't sell Chaps in the mid-range, nor Polo Ralph Lauren (aka Blue Label) in the premium segment, nor Purple Label in the luxury segment.
Amazon can't control counterfeit goods on it's current website. How would I know for sure that I would get the real item and not a counterfeit?
Amazon also allows knock offs so why would a premium brand want to be on thier website. They'll have Chinese knock offs listed right up there with the real deal. Take a look at all the knock offs of Kipling handbags. Loads of Chinese look alikes with poor construction and bad stitching.
I imagine these brands want you to come their company website. Not to mention, one of the biggest perks with Amazon (Prime) is free two day shipping; something that higher end brands wouldn't just guarantee. It's the same way stores such as Macy's can't discount luxury or even some premium items. Part of the appeal of luxury is being "inaccessible, or unattainable for most", if you will. After all, if luxury items start becoming too, commplace, then they lose their appeal among their ideal/target audience (i.e. Louis Vuitton monogram purses are no longer exclusive). Luxury brands do not really want to appeal to everyone, while Amazon is all inclusive.
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