Amazon Prime members can now try on clothes before paying for them

SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon’s newest clothing offering could help it break into fashion. A service now available to all Prime members allows buyers to try on clothes before buying them — a way for online delivery to mimic the experience of shopping in a store.

On Wednesday, Amazon announced its clothing home try-on service, Prime Wardrobe, is available for all Prime members in the U.S. The company launched an invite-only beta version of the service last year. After a test-run in which invitees could order thousands of different styles, Amazon decided the service was a good fit and opened it up to all U.S. Prime members.

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Amazon Wardrobe comes at no additional cost to existing Prime members.

The service allows shoppers to order clothes, shoes and accessories to try on at home. After ordering at least three and up to eight items, members have seven days to decide whether to keep their selections or send them back in the provided re-sealable box using a pre-paid label — for no charge.

There is no upfront charge. Customers are only charged for the items they keep when the seven days are up.

Prime Wardrobe will rival established online shopping and subscription services like Stitch Fix and Nordstrom’s Trunk Club, though those services offer a personal stylist. On Prime Wardrobe the customer picks their own clothes.

Cooper Smith, director of Amazon IQ Research at Gartner L2, said this investment in apparel is a long time coming.

Amazon is trying to get customers to shop for brands and brands want to reach coveted Prime customers, he said, and Amazon hasn’t fully invested in this business model before.

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Smith said the new service could help Amazon sell high-priced fashion items.

Amazon has "been selling a lot of clothing, but they haven’t been able to sell fashion,” Smith said. “Fashion brands want to reach Prime users.”

Since the beta version was released, private label brands have been top sellers. Women have been buying denim and dresses, men have ordered tops and casual pants and, for kids, shoes are most popular, according to Amazon.

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