Amazon's Try-Before-You-Buy Prime Wardrobe Now Open to All Members

Prime Wardrobe, Amazon.com's “try before you buy” shopping service, is officially out of beta and open to all Prime members in the U.S. The service has been gradually offered to more customers over the course of the year, so many Prime members may have already had access before yesterday's official unveiling. Prime Wardrobe is Amazon’s answer to popular personalized shopping services like Stitch Fix and Trunk Club, which send a curated box of clothing to customers on a regular basis. These services allow consumers to try on clothing and other items in their homes, then keep what they like and return the rest. However, Amazon’s service is more of a DIY version — instead of using stylists, Prime members fill their own box with at least three and as many as eight items at a time. They then have a week to try on the items and return those they don’t want before being charged.

Total Retail's Take: Apparel is a category that Amazon has targeted as a growth opportunity. As more apparel purchasing takes place online, Amazon — as is its wont — is trying to make the shopping experience as easy as possible for its customers. While the idea of an online try-before-you-buy shopping service isn't unique to Amazon — Stitch Fix, Trunk Club, and others were the trailblazers in this arena — the online retail giant is entering the category with every intention of dominating it. Given its track record, it's probably a safe bet that it will. Perhaps it's time for Stitch Fix and others in the apparel try-before-you-buy sector to listen to potential buyout offers.