Which are the best-selling products on Amazon?

The report shows that consumers buy more basic clothing items from Amazon, such as underwear, socks and t-shirts. This shows that people might prefer to purchase more ‘fashionable’ clothing from the specialist marketplaces.

Other products that are common purchases on Amazon are leggings, sportswear and slimming belts. These are often unknown or cheap brands from China. The report states people often buy in bulk, suggesting they want a ‘no-nonsense’ approach to shopping for basic clothing.

In comparison, marketplaces such as Zalando and Yoox offer fashion ideas and inspiration. The sites create a story and encourage the purchase with suggestions for complementary items. Amazon fashion does not portray a creative element with the temptation to buy.

The different fashion sectors

Only 22% of Amazon searches include a brand name. People are more likely to search for the product they’re looking for, e.g. ‘cotton summer dress’.

Fashion marketplaces sell a variety of products, as well as clothing, including accessories, bags, footwear and jewellery. Each of these is split into various categories, the main ones being:

Clothes

Shoes

Sportswear

Accessories

These are further divided into men, women and children’s categories. Something noticeable is that several online marketplaces also offer a separate designer brand sector. This reflects the increasing desire to wear brand clothing, especially among Millennials. From a commercial point of view, the sale of high value, designer items provides more profit.

During the pandemic, sportswear and loungewear sales grew as people were spending more time at home. As people return to their previous lifestyles and ‘normality’ there is an opportunity for fashion brands to promote a wider wardrobe range.