Candidly, my firm does a lot of business on Amazon via their marketplace along with others like Walmart, Wayfair, Costco, Macy’s, Kohls, etc. But let’s be real. Amazon is a easy target. They own >50% of ecommerce growth. They have numerous lines of business with significant traction. And currently, Amazon doesn’t seem stoppable.
However, most of what Amazon is doing in retail has been done to some degree before. I often point out that Sears was the first to have the “endless scroll” with their massive catalogs, next day delivery via rail and even private label homes that were sold under the brand name Sears. Endless options, quick delivery and private labels are nothing new. When was the last time you visited a Macy’s and didn’t see the Macy’s brand right next to the Polo Ralph Lauren branded product?
So why the frustration? Copying or shall I say using inspiration from other brands is commonplace is fashion. Fashion companies have been copying each other since the dawn of time. Every brand we work with from small to large will “shop the market” every few months to understand trends in colors, silhouettes, cuts, fabrics, fabrications and manufacturing methods. Some brands entire business model is founded upon being “inspired” by the designs of other brands and plowing that design savings into marketing. Just look at Nike suing Skechers just this morning. Or how about this blatant copy of Supreme branding on a New York City sweatshirt I am staring at in JFK airport this morning?
