Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Amazon surpassed Walmart as the number one apparel retailer in the United States in 2021
In 2020, Amazon's apparel and footwear sales in the US were estimated to have grown by approximately 15%
Wells Fargo estimated Amazon's gross merchandise volume (GMV) for softlines including apparel reached $41 billion in 2020
Nearly 51% of Amazon shoppers have purchased clothing or footwear on the platform in the last year
Over 60% of US apparel shoppers have browsed Amazon for clothing ideas even if they bought elsewhere
Millennials comprise the largest demographic segment purchasing fashion on Amazon
Amazon owns more than 100 private label fashion brands
Amazon Essentials is the best-selling private label clothing brand on the platform
Third-party sellers account for approximately 58% of total Amazon merchandise sales, including a large portion of apparel
Prime members spend an average of $1,400 annually on Amazon, with a significant portion allocated to apparel
"Prime Try Before You Buy" (formerly Prime Wardrobe) allows a 7-day trial period, increasing conversion rates by roughly 18%
The return rate for online apparel sales, including Amazon, hovers around 24.4%, significantly higher than other categories
Footwear accounts for the largest sub-segment of Amazon's total fashion revenue
Sales of "Athleisure" on Amazon grew by 25% year-over-year in 2021
Amazon Live (livestream shopping) fashion streams have seen viewership triple since 2020
Market Volume & Financials
- Amazon surpassed Walmart as the number one apparel retailer in the United States in 2021
- In 2020, Amazon's apparel and footwear sales in the US were estimated to have grown by approximately 15%
- Wells Fargo estimated Amazon's gross merchandise volume (GMV) for softlines including apparel reached $41 billion in 2020
- Analysts predict Amazon will capture nearly 15% of the total US apparel market by 2025
- Amazon's clothing and accessory sales were projected to exceed $45 billion estimates in 2021
- Amazon accounts for between 11% and 12% of all apparel sold in the US as of early 2021
- Amazon's share of the digital apparel market in the US was estimated at over 35% in 2019
- The Gross Merchandise Value of Amazon Fashion is estimated to reach $73 billion by 2024
- During the pandemic, Amazon's apparel sales grew roughly 19% while the broader sector declined
- Morgan Stanley valued Amazon’s apparel business at over $30 billion back in 2018
- Amazon holds a larger market share in apparel than the next four largest digital competitors combined
- While traditional department stores saw sales drop 15-20%, Amazon Fashion saw double-digit growth in 2020
- Amazon’s softlines business is expected to exceed $68 billion in sales by 2023
- The retail giant's apparel revenue is roughly 7 times that of Macy’s online sales
- Amazon's European fashion business generates billions of euros annually across the UK, Germany, and France
- Amazon Fashion is estimated to be 10% to 20% of Amazon’s total North American GMV
- In 2022, Amazon's apparel sales volume was nearly double that of Target
- The apparel category is consistently among the top 3 high-revenue categories for Amazon
- Amazon's apparel GMV growth rate has historically outpaced the total US apparel market growth by 3x
- By 2025, Morgan Stanley predicts Amazon could capture $50 billion of apparel sales annually
Interpretation
Amazon has quietly become the closet everyone shops from, turning pandemic tailwinds and relentless digital scale into tens of billions in apparel sales that have overtaken traditional retailers and are poised to capture a double-digit share of the US clothing market by 2025.
Prime Services, Returns & Logistics
- Prime members spend an average of $1,400 annually on Amazon, with a significant portion allocated to apparel
- "Prime Try Before You Buy" (formerly Prime Wardrobe) allows a 7-day trial period, increasing conversion rates by roughly 18%
- The return rate for online apparel sales, including Amazon, hovers around 24.4%, significantly higher than other categories
- Amazon introduced "Luxury Stores" with Prime delivery to capture high-end fashion market share
- Free return shipping on fashion items is utilized by over 70% of Amazon apparel shoppers
- Prime Day 2022 saw over 300 million items purchased worldwide, with fashion being a leading category
- Amazon opened "Amazon Style" physical stores using QR codes and advanced logistics, though later announced their closure
- Amazon offers same-day delivery for apparel in over 90 US, UK, and European metro areas
- 66% of consumers expect Amazon Fashion returns to be refunded within 1-2 days
- "Personal Shopper by Prime Try Before You Buy" costs $4.99/month and uses stylists to curate boxes
- Amazon's "Made for You" uses custom logistics to create made-to-measure t-shirts for users
- Kohl’s partnership for accepting Amazon returns drove a 9% increase in new customers for Kohl's, showing the scale of Amazon returns
- Amazon Fashion’s reduced packaging initiative has eliminated thousands of tons of plastic waste from apparel shipments
- During the holiday season, apparel returns on Amazon can spike to nearly 30%
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees for apparel are structured differently to account for higher return processing costs
- The average time a Prime member spends browsing fashion before purchase is less than 10 minutes due to 1-click convenience
- Amazon lockers are used for apparel pickups by approximately 5% of urban shoppers to avoid theft
- Prime members are 30% more likely to buy "Amazon Essentials" than non-members
- Amazon utilizes AI to predict clothing sizes, reducing returns by an estimated 2-4%
- The "Prime Early Access Sale" in October often features winter apparel as a top 3 category
Interpretation
Amazon has quietly engineered apparel into a high-volume, low-friction business, where Prime members who spend about $1,400 a year are nudged by Try Before You Buy, Personal Shopper and AI sizing into rapid purchases; generous free returns used by over 70% of shoppers and an overall 24.4% return rate that spikes near 30% at the holidays are soaked up by same-day delivery, locker pickups, Kohl’s return partnership, FBA fee tweaks and reduced packaging; and Luxury Stores plus made-to-measure offerings let Amazon chase both scale and margin, all to make fashion feel effortless enough that shoppers click before they think.
Private Labels & Third-Party Sellers
- Amazon owns more than 100 private label fashion brands
- Amazon Essentials is the best-selling private label clothing brand on the platform
- Third-party sellers account for approximately 58% of total Amazon merchandise sales, including a large portion of apparel
- The "Orolay" coat (viral third-party product) generated an estimated $5 million in revenue in one winter season
- Over 75% of clothing items on Amazon are sold by third-party marketplace sellers, not Amazon directly
- Amazon’s "Goodthreads" brand targets men with a focus on button-downs and chinos to rival J.Crew
- Nike ceased its direct selling pilot with Amazon in 2019, yet Nike remains one of the most searched terms on Amazon
- Third-party sellers using FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) for apparel see a 30-50% sales uplift compared to merchant fulfillment
- Amazon’s private label women’s apparel typically costs 15-20% less than comparable mid-tier brands
- "Spotted Zebra" is one of Amazon's leading children's private labels known for bundling items
- Chinese sellers represent a significant portion (estimated over 40%) of the top apparel sellers on Amazon US
- Amazon Basics Men's Fleece sales grew by over 45% year-over-year in 2021
- There are over 2 million active sellers on Amazon, with "Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry" being a top 5 category for new sellers
- Amazon has slashed the number of its private clothing brands by 27 out of 30 in a recent consolidation effort
- The clothing category attracts roughly 14% of all new third-party sellers joining the platform
- Hanes is frequently ranked as the number one bestselling clothing brand on Amazon (1st and 3rd party combined)
- "Daily Ritual" is a top-performing Amazon private label focusing on soft fabrics and basics for women
- Third-party sellers in the clothing category spend roughly 10-15% of revenue on Amazon Advertising
- 92% of sellers offering apparel use Amazon Sponsored Products ads to gain visibility
- In 2023, Amazon began charging fees for seller returns, impacting third-party apparel margins
Interpretation
Amazon’s apparel marketplace is a study in retail contradiction: while the platform quietly builds private labels like Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual and Goodthreads that undercut mid tier prices by roughly 15 to 20 percent, more than 75 percent of clothing listings and about 58 percent of overall merchandise sales come from third party sellers, many from China, who, aided by FBA’s 30 to 50 percent sales lift and the near universal use of Sponsored Products despite spending 10 to 15 percent of revenue on ads, can turn a viral item like the Orolay coat into millions in a season even as new 2023 return fees and Amazon’s recent consolidation of private brands squeeze margins and leave legacy names such as Hanes and highly searched brands like Nike still commanding shoppers’ attention.
Shopper Demographics & Behavior
- Nearly 51% of Amazon shoppers have purchased clothing or footwear on the platform in the last year
- Over 60% of US apparel shoppers have browsed Amazon for clothing ideas even if they bought elsewhere
- Millennials comprise the largest demographic segment purchasing fashion on Amazon
- Roughly 46% of US consumers say they are open to buying clothes from Amazon
- Households with income over $100k are 15% more likely to buy basics on Amazon than lower-income households
- 80% of apparel items sold on Amazon are priced under $30, appealing to value-conscious shoppers
- Men are more likely than women to purchase branded athletic wear on Amazon
- 37% of consumers cite "free delivery" as the primary reason for buying clothes on Amazon
- Approximately 15% of Amazon apparel shoppers visit the site specifically to look for deals or discounts
- Nearly 25% of consumers start their search for a new clothing item on Amazon rather than Google
- Consumer trust in Amazon Fashion reviews is rated higher than trust in single-brand store reviews by 12%
- About 55% of Amazon clothing shoppers purchase at least once a month
- Amazon's "The Drop" (influencer collections) has increased engagement among Gen Z shoppers by over 20%
- 48% of Amazon Prime members have purchased shoes on the platform
- Nearly 30% of US consumers prefer Amazon for purchasing children’s clothing due to convenience
- Shoppers who buy groceries on Amazon are 2x more likely to add basic apparel items to their cart
- 41% of consumers say they purchased apparel on Amazon during Prime Day events
- Almost 70% of Amazon fashion shoppers use the mobile app rather than desktop to browse clothes
- Customer reviews containing photos influence 62% of fashion purchase decisions on Amazon
- Repeat purchase rates for Amazon private label clothing are aprox. 35%, higher than many third-party brands
Interpretation
Amazon has quietly become both a bargain runway and a convenience clinic, with Millennials and Gen Z leading mobile app shopping for under $30 basics and influencer drops, Prime perks, free delivery and photo reviews fueling frequent, deal driven purchases and higher repeat rates for private labels, while higher-income households, men buying athletic wear and parents shopping for children’s clothes all find it hard to resist.
Specific Segments & Digital Trends
- Footwear accounts for the largest sub-segment of Amazon's total fashion revenue
- Sales of "Athleisure" on Amazon grew by 25% year-over-year in 2021
- Amazon Live (livestream shopping) fashion streams have seen viewership triple since 2020
- Levi's sales on Amazon grew over 40% after shifting focus to digital channels
- Amazon's "Virtual Try-On for Shoes" uses AR and is available for thousands of sneaker styles
- Underwear and socks are the highest volume (unit count) items sold in Amazon Fashion
- Searches for "Y2K Fashion" on Amazon increased by 440% in 2022
- The sale of shapewear on Amazon has grown consistently by double digits annually since 2018
- Amazon accounts for 50.7% of the online athletic apparel market in the US
- Plus-size clothing searches on Amazon have increased by 31% year-over-year
- During "Back to School" season, children's uniform sales on Amazon spike by over 200%
- Amazon's luxury beauty and fashion crossover sales (buying lipstick with a dress) have risen 14%
- Sustainable fashion searches (e.g., "organic cotton") on Amazon grew by 42% in 2021
- Smartwatch bands and accessories are among the top 10 fastest-growing fashion accessory categories
- Sales of Crocs on Amazon increased by 68% in 2020/2021, making it a top footwear brand
- Amazon's algorithmic recommendations drive approximately 35% of fashion impulse buys
- Loungewear sales remained 20% above pre-pandemic levels in 2022 on Amazon
- Mobile users view 2.5x more items per session in the clothing category than desktop users
- Amazon Lens (visual search) usage for finding clothing matches increased by 30% in 2022
- Men's suits saw a 40% sales rebound in 2022 on Amazon after a 2020 slump
Interpretation
Amazon's fashion business has quietly become a tech-powered retail empire where footwear and high-volume basics like underwear and socks rule the revenue roost, athleisure, loungewear and shapewear keep pandemic tastes profitable, Levi's and Crocs prove digital focus can turbocharge growth, livestream viewership has tripled since 2020 and AR try-ons for thousands of sneaker styles along with visual search are turning browsing into buying, algorithmic suggestions drive roughly a third of impulse purchases, and with Amazon owning over half of the US online athletic apparel market while searches for Y2K, plus-size, sustainable and kids' uniform items surge and men's suits and smartwatch bands rebound, the marketplace is simultaneously seasonal, diverse and overwhelmingly mobile-driven.
References
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