According to a 2023 report by Saffron Edge, 13 out of the top 20 DTC brands are in the fashion industry. In terms of market size, the global fashion market is projected to reach approximately $770.90 billion by the end of 2024, with expectations to grow to $1,183 billion by 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.94%.
In this modern gold rush, everyone is climbing over each other to find it. On Amazon, the Clothing, Jewelry & Shoes category is the 11th most popular Amazon product category for third-party sellers, and fashion is profitable for the majority of merchants.
So, how can a fashion seller find success and grow on Amazon?
General tips for all product categories
It starts with the basics: an SEO-optimized title. This helps shoppers find your product and makes them more likely to buy. Skip this step, and you’re missing out on sales.
There are many ways to grow Amazon sales, including PPC campaigns, promotions and Vine programs for review generation, lightning and Prime day deals, social media, and influencers for brand building. Leveraging these proportional tactics is ‘step one’ for any seller.
Now, let’s focus on the most effective ways for fashion sellers to improve their sales performance.
Amazon Fashion Core Principles
People don’t buy trendy jackets or trainers because they need them. Fashion is about selling an identity. You’re branding an experience and promoting a lifestyle.
On Amazon, it's that story and image you need to convey. Your identity must resonate with the audience you need to attract, using attractive visuals and an on-screen experience with which your buyer demographics emotionally connect. To do this right, you need to know your identity and your audience.
Fashion caters to our emotional brain, so you can’t describe a coat the same way you would a laptop computer. Fashion has a function and specifications, but it's not the function you’re promoting - it's the image.
Tip #1: Images
Imagery is the first and most important aspect of a fashion seller's focus, so use plenty of different angles. Show context with the lifestyle they represent and close-up details showing key features and quality.
A few rules that lead to positive conversions:
- Always use a real model to showcase your clothing items.
- Models in pictures should be in active poses: walking or standing.
- Always shoot against a pure white background for the main image. (Amazon requirement)
- Use ‘lifestyle’ settings with the rest of the product shots.
- Convey emotion without distracting from the product.
- Avoid clipping the product unless you are showing a close-up of a feature - soft interior materials, an elegant zip, a nice pocket detail, etc.
- Colors and lighting have a measurable effect on returns. When a buyer selects ‘Blue’ from the menu, it’s the blue they see on the screen they want to receive.
- The more images, the better. It improves conversion, and algorithms prefer it.
- Avoid digital coloring renders. You might think this saves you time and cost, but it will reduce your conversion and profit.
Tip #2: Branding your Identity
Now let's discuss the various ways you should apply your images.
Fashion sellers need A+ Content to achieve maximum sales. ‘A+ Content’ is a feature registered brands get, enabling extra lifestyle imagery, brand message, cross-selling, and visual representations of USPs using graphics and videos. This differentiates brand owners from resellers or traders.
Only a brand with a trademark can have A+ (and numerous other perks) granted on their Amazon accounts.
Listings with A+ Content experience better engagement and conversions. Studies show conversion increases between 70-210% when A+ Content is applied. They increase sales on every vertical - and it’s especially impactful in fashion. Creating A+ content is part of Amazon's branding best practice, and with today's competition, it’s essential.
Lengthy description texts have limited impact. Images, videos, and bulleted selling points are what most buyers will scan on their small device screen or desktop. A+ allows you to make a visual story connecting the practical needs of consumers with the product.
Tip #3: Understanding Marketplace Buyer Search
When shoppers visit online marketplaces, they typically have a specific product in mind rather than a particular brand. In fact, a 2022 survey revealed that 46% of U.S. consumers begin their product searches on Amazon, while 35% start with Google.
This indicates that a significant portion of consumers are open to various brands when initiating their search. Starting with a generic search, they use filters to narrow down the selection. They scan the first pages of results, with clipped titles, the main image only, and the price.
This first page of results is where you must stimulate buyer interest with simple tactics:
- nice product image
- fair price
- title matching their need/search
Let’s assume they clicked - now the branding experience kicks in.
Thanks to your A+ Content, they’re already interested. Your branding is how you finalize the story and message by visually giving them all the final information and feelings needed to Buy Now.
Branding on A+ should show consumers the answers to these common questions:
- What does your brand stand for?
- Has your brand followed consumer trends and moved to a sustainable model?
- Do you give to charities for every purchase?
- Are you affiliated with a movement, organization, or other entity?
Resolve all doubts with a brand story and brand experience that blends the product with your identity.
Tip #4: Brand pages
Images and A+ can go a long way to brand building, but it’s still not a complete picture until you then factor in branded pages. These put 100% of the consumer’s focus on the brand.
A brand page will have a clean, customized look, giving brands a chance to tell a unique story of their identity. This is where you can resonate with your audience’s emotions by catering to trends, beliefs, and causes you want them to associate your brand with.
Buyers are savvy and know how to find the truth. They can easily spot any deceit or inconsistency in messaging. Brands must be true to their beliefs now like never before - and brand pages can help you demonstrate authenticity.
Some brands have seen a 70% increase in sales in just 30 days from their brand page. In the past, it was difficult to measure the results from your Amazon storefront, but now brands have access to a tool called Amazon Store Insights.
Tip #5: Amazon Marketing
Fashion is one of the most margin-sensitive and cutthroat industries online. Having an Amazon marketing function that’s profitable, scalable, and constantly analyses data is vital in this vertical.
Fashion sellers need to approach this differently from sellers of other categories. A luxury brand will have more margin to spare but also a smaller potential audience. This means the luxury segment needs a different strategic plan to fast fashion. Amazon segments the two already.
Remember, most buyers start their search with a product type. Amazon ads give you a chance to compete and promote listings from a humble general starting point. New Amazon sellers with no BSRs (Best Seller Rank) on their new listings should adopt Amazon Ads to kick-start conversion metrics so longer-term organic sales can follow in their wake.
A fashion brand must have a strategy, expertise, and a sufficient budget for ongoing marketing campaigns. Fashion sellers will struggle to gain market share and grow otherwise. Don’t just throw money at it - the best approaches start with small budgets you grow over time, using data analysis and gradual optimizations.
Tip #6: The Drop
Amazon’s ‘The Drop’ is a temporary fashion showcase featuring “limited-edition street style, designed by global influencers.” The concept is largely influencer-driven, catering to the growing presence of social media in everyday ecommerce experiences. Use ‘The Drop’ to your full advantage to create excitement around your brand.
‘The Drop’ features:
- Limited brands (exclusive!)
- Limited stock (available in only a 30-hour window)
- All products are made-to-order (leveraging the sustainability mindset)
- Both fast fashion and luxury brands are featured
- Includes a mix of established and new-comer brands
It’s an impulse-buy-driven showcase and another way to sell your brand image in a pulse-quickening ‘act now while stocks last’ atmosphere. Amazon is selective about The Drop, but any brand keen to get involved should consider applying for this targeted and well-promoted spotlight.
Tip #7: Amazon Prime Wardrobe
Amazon's Prime Try Before You Buy (formerly known as Prime Wardrobe) continues to offer Prime members the convenience of trying on clothing, shoes, jewelry, watches, and accessories at home before making a purchase. Customers can select up to eight items per order, try them on over a seven-day period, and only pay for what they decide to keep. The service includes free shipping and easy returns, enhancing the online shopping experience by allowing customers to assess products in the comfort of their own homes.
For sellers, participation in Prime Try Before You Buy remains by invitation only. While the program can increase product exposure and customer engagement, sellers should be mindful of the potential challenges associated with the seven-day trial period and the management of returns.
Overall, Prime Try Before You Buy continues to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping experiences, benefiting both consumers and sellers by providing flexibility and fostering customer confidence in purchasing decisions.
Your fashion checklist for success on Amazon
Here are some questions that can help you assess your brand-readiness for selling on Amazon.
- Do you have a solid brand identity you can message and emphasize? You need to know yourself and what you stand for.
- Who is my audience? This will be critical to how you visualize and promote your brand identity and tonally drive copy.
- Have I got robust deep visual assets? Make sure you can tell a story of your brand and products in images alone.
- Do I own and have a trademark for my brand? This is exceedingly critical for Amazon's catalog management and ASIN principles.
- Am I ready for research and analysis? Fashion is more sensitive to good keyword SEO than any other industry, and you cannot skip this work.
- Am I ready to build curtailed branded experiences? No big growing fashion seller on Amazon is able to skip this.
- Do I have the resources to market on Amazon? You’ll need to leverage not just specialist PPC needs on the Amazon ecosphere but wider brand pages and display ads, and possibly even DSP.
- Can I commit to growth and evolution? Points 5, 6, and 7 are ongoing iterative work for existing and new lines.
- Are my Prime, FBA, and delivery logistics ready? With IPI score limits and strict KPIs on stock velocity and rotation, you need expert-level management of stock movement, replenishment, and forecasting.
Why sell fashion with ChannelEngine?
Amazon is ripe for fashion growth. All trends suggest it’ll get a growing market share of fashion buyers. However, Amazon is not the easiest channel to navigate, manage, and stay on top of. The gold rush made many rich, but only those who knew their craft and where to mine. Here's why ChannelEngine is your ideal partner:
- Multi-Marketplace Expansion: Connect to leading platforms like Zalando, ASOS, and eBay, alongside Amazon, with ease.
- Centralized Management: Streamline operations with a single dashboard for all marketplaces, reducing complexity.
- Global Reach: Sell to customers in Europe, the U.S., and beyond without setting up separate accounts for each platform.
- Dynamic Pricing and Listings: Optimize your pricing and product information automatically for each marketplace.
- Enhanced Profitability: Avoid overreliance on one channel and unlock more revenue streams by diversifying your presence
