Amazon has quietly developed its own brands of suits, dresses and shoes. Yoga pants and running tights could be next.
p
The online megastore is planning to develop its own line of workout apparel as it wades deeper into the private-label clothing business, according to several online job listings published by Amazon in December.
p
In a series of postings for brand manager positions, Amazon said it was looking for candidates to build authentic activewear private label brands that have compelling and unique DNA and deliver amazing consumer valued innovation.
p
That’s a mouthful! But Google can help explain. If you enter activewear on the search engine, you’ll find ads showing yoga pants and running tights from brands like Victoria’s Secret, Adidas, Nike and Under Armour.
p
One of the job listings adds that the ideal candidate would be someone who has a passion for sport, athletes and those living an active lifestyle and has experience studying (athletic, activewear) trends, customer behavior and shopping patterns.
p
An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment.
p
The plans for Amazon workout clothing mark the online retailer’s latest move to build out its own stable of clothing brands while simultaneously riding the athleisure wave — that is, the trend of wearing workout clothes like yoga pants in other settings, like the office.
p
Retailers like Lululemon and Fabletics, the Kate Hudson-led brand, have profited from the trend, helping to push the U.S. activewear market to an estimated $44 billion in sales. Recent data, however, suggests that market saturation is causing prices to drop.
p
In the last year alone, Amazon has quietly unveiled at least eight of its own clothing brands including a women’s label called Society New York and a kids clothing line dubbed Scout Ro.
p
Most recently, it revealed a men’s buttoned-down shirt brand – creatively named Buttoned Down — that sells dress shirts starting at $39. They…