Shoppers are starting to see Amazon as a fashion destination

As consumers look to purchase clothing online, research from PYMNTS Intelligence shows that digital shoppers are increasingly turning to Amazon to meet their clothing needs.

By the numbers

The PYMNTS Intelligence study “Whole Paycheck Report: New Consumer Spend Data Finds Amazon Way Ahead of Walmart” estimates the market shares of each of the two retailers in several categories based on years of earnings reports combined with national data from the US Census Bureau and Bureau of economic analysis.

According to additional research from the study, consumers for the first time purchased more than half of the clothing they bought online from Amazon starting in the fourth quarter of 2023. The online retail giant’s share of consumer apparel via e-commerce rose to 51.5% from 47.9% in the previous quarter.

A deeper dive

Amazon’s success and gaining market share in this category is especially critical given how consumers prioritize clothing purchases even during times of economic distress. PYMNTS Intelligence’s “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report: The Nonessential Spending Deep Dive Edition” shows that of the 7 in 10 consumers who purchase at least nice-to-have items, clothing is most appreciated. communal indulgence.

Additionally, higher-income consumers spend a greater share of their paychecks on this retail category, according to the “Why One-Third of High Earners Live Paycheck to Paycheck” edition of the New Reality Check series. The study found that those earning more than $200,000 a year spend the largest share of their personal income on clothing, accessories and personal care items: 8.5%, compared to 7.2% for the entire population. Additionally, consumers earning more than $100,000 per year were the most likely to say that clothing and personal care had a large or very large impact on their budget in the past twelve months.

“We still have the broadest retail offering, with hundreds of millions of products available, tens of millions added last year alone, and several premium brands are starting to appear on Amazon (e.g. Coach, Victoria’s Secret, Pit Viper, Martha Stewart, Clinique, Lancôme and Urban Decay ),” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told investors in his recent 2023 Letter to Shareholders.