Amazon is testing a new badge for some of its high profile clothing brand named, “Top Brand”, equivalent to the “Best Seller” and “Amazon’s Choice” badges to give customers an additional purpose to click in and buy.
Amazon has been attempting for many years to grab a larger bite out of the apparel market place and desires it buyers to acquire far more garments.
Brands like Fruit of the Loom, Under Armour, and New Balance now have some of their apparel marked with the new badge.
The new badge was first spotted by JuozasKaziukėnas, founder of Marketplace Pulse. The testing was confirmed to Bloomberg by an Amazon spokesperson, who said it was to denote brands that are popular with customers.
It’s unclear what exactly makes a brand a Top Brand. That ambiguity mimics the “best seller” and “Amazon’ Choice” labels, where Amazon gives only a hint of what exactly goes into the formula behind the products are deemed such.Top Brand is not part of Amazon Advertising, and brands do not pay for the priviledge of being a top brand.
The top brand tag could be a way for the company to flag those brands customers are already intimately familiar with, and so may be more comfortable purchasing without seeing in person or trying on. However, it may also be a way to steer customers away from the many lower-priced options to the name brand option.
Amazon has been very active in trying to carve out a larger part of the apparel space.It has developed and launched many new private label brands, and launched Prime Wardrobe, a try-before-you-buy service with free return shipping.