"Online retail is gaining strength when it comes to intimate wear purchase, reveals a recently released report by One Click Retail. The report states women who feel ‘awkward’ buying bras and underwear at brick-and-mortar retailers are now ringing up their lingerie purchases online instead, and this is helping Amazon gain market share. In 2016, the total value of the US apparel market — both online and offline — was $200 billion, with Amazon claiming about $3.4 billion of that, One Click Retail said."

Online retail is gaining strength when it comes to intimate wear purchase, reveals a recently released report by One Click Retail. The report states women who feel ‘awkward’ buying bras and underwear at brick-and-mortar retailers are now ringing up their lingerie purchases online instead, and this is helping Amazon gain market share. In 2016, the total value of the US apparel market — both online and offline — was $200 billion, with Amazon claiming about $3.4 billion of that, One Click Retail said. While total US apparel sales climbed 3 per cent last year, Amazon's apparel sales in the US saw a 25 per cent increase over the same period.

The top-performing apparel categories on Amazon.com in 2016 included men’s bottoms, which pulled in $375 million in sales; women's intimate apparel, which boasted $250 million in sales; women’s denim, with revenue of $170 million; and men's underwear, with sales of $165 million, according to data from One Click Retail. “Our data shows that the company is having great success with necessities and everyday items such as jeans, socks, underwear and men's work clothes,” the report said. Though, in their efforts toward a hassle-free shopping experience, Amazon is investing in innovation: in payments, order fulfillment, product selection and now, with Amazon Prime Wardrobe, return policy flexibility.

Prime Wardrobe

In order to ease shopping experience, Amazon has launched Prime Wardrobe, a new fashion platform, which looks similar to other wardrobe subscription services like Stitch Fix and Trunk Club. According to Amazon's website, Prime Wardrobe includes brands outside of Amazon's private labels, for example, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Levi's and Hugo Boss. The service allows customers to order items like shoes, clothes or accessories at no upfront charge, only paying for what they decide to keep. Shoppers have seven days to decide what they don't want.

Amazon’s share in the US

Amazon still boasts of a 5 per cent share of total retail sales, excluding food, across the country, according to data from the US Census Bureau. But Amazon's share of retail sales across the US in key categories — sporting goods, clothing, personal care and electronics — will only continue to accelerate from here.

Considering that department stores, discount stores and specialty stores remain the top store formats where women shop most often for clothes, Amazon might place its bet on real estate heavy acquisition, according to a recent research report from Fung Global Retail & Technology.