Amazon will debut its first brick-and-mortar clothing store near Los Angeles later this year with tech-enhanced service that includes fashion recommendations courtesy of an algorithm. Dubbed Amazon Style, the first store will be based in the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale, Calif., the e-commerce giant announced Thursday. The location will feature men’s and women’s clothing, as well as shoes and other fashion accessories at an array of price points. Shoppers will be able to scan QR codes on product displays for more details or send specific clothes straight to a fitting room or a pickup counter for checkout. Amazon said the store will utilize “machine learning algorithms” to “produce tailored, real-time recommendations” based on preferences such as style and fit. Once they enter a fitting room, shoppers will find any items they requested, plus a selection of other clothes based on their preferences. Customers will be able to continue shopping on a tablet located in the fitting room and have their picks delivered in “just minutes,” according to Amazon. “It’s like a magic closet with seemingly endless selection,” Amazon Style managing director Simoina Vasen said. The company declined to provide a specific timeframe for the store’s launch. While many features will be automated, Amazon said employees will be on site to handle customer service, deliver items to fitting rooms, process checkouts and manage other store operations. Amazon controls a dominant share of the online retail marketplace, but the company has increasingly explored an expansion to brick-and-mortar stores in recent years. Meanwhile, many traditional retailers have been forced to shutter stores or revamp their operations during the rise of e-commerce. Aside from acquiring grocery chain Whole Foods in 2017, Amazon has launched other physical store formats, including locations filled with top-rated products, book stores and convenience stores. With Post wires
