No doubt that Amazon is the first Omni online shop in the world. Yet, when it comes to fashion brands, unfortunately, Amazon is not the optimal place.
It may need no argument that whenever you think of buying something online, Amazon is the first place that comes to your mind.
You can find almost anything on Amazon with competitive prices.
You name it, tech gadgets, cameras, speakers, AirPods, computers, cosmetics, supplements, outfits, shoes, and even TVs and white appliances.
But, Amazon has recently started to get complaints and negative reviews for knock-off and fake brands on its online platform.
You can find many articles and reviews over the internet about brands like Nike, Birkenstock, Vans, Ralph Lauren, and even Ikea that have left Amazon’s online marketplace.
There are several reasons why such brands have left Amazon. The most surfacing reasons are either for protecting their brand from imitating or maintaining more control of their customer base.
Still, you can find some products of these brands on Amazon sold by online third-party sellers.
Third-party sellers are a growing profit source for Amazon and, at the same time, a hustle for harming its image.
Although Amazon claims that it tries its best to control what these sellers put on its online platform, many products slip its algorithms.
The problem of third-party sellers has taken another shape and become more critical by selling harmful products online.
Regardless of the reason, if you are looking to enjoy your online shopping journey and buy genuine brands, Amazon is not your optimal choice.
What are the online marketplaces for fashion brands?
As an expert in the world of online shopping, nothing can beat buying from the brand source, which is its official website.
For example, if you go to brands’ websites like Nike, Adidas, Michael Kors, Sephora, and Under Armour, you will be amazed by the offers, collection, and deals you can get.
Such brands always seek to satisfy their customers by providing a customer-friendly online experience such as up to date products, discounts and return policy.
However, the top reason why you should buy from the source is that you rest assured it is original.
Yet, we cannot oversee the other reputable marketplaces like Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Kohls.
There are also discount stores. These stores usually carry discounted items as closeout and factory-outlet products or affordable brands with low prices.
Walmart, Target, and Costco are good examples of affordable prices stores, while Ross, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Century 21 are like closeout stores.
Now, let us take a brief idea about each of these stores and what they are best at:
Macy’s: It is America’s largest department store. Below are the pros and cons of shopping online from this store:
Pros:
- Wide variety of fashion brands and other products
- Competitive prices
- Competitive deals on some seasonal fashion brands
- Eventually, you get your item or money back
Cons:
- Trendy fashion products sometimes are not available
- Average customer service
- Return and refund may take longer than expected
- Not all products are available for the international market
Bloomingdales: It is a US luxury department store that belongs to Macy’s brand. It is the luxury version of Macy’s.
Below is the ups and downs of Bloomingdales:
Pros
- Wide variety of luxury and affordable luxury fashion brands
- Good customer service
- Eventually, you get your item or money back
Cons
- Deals do not always include trendy products
- Expensive.
- Return and refund may take longer than expected.
- Not all products are available for the international market.
Nordstrom: It is a US luxury department store. It shares many similarities with Macy’s; However, its brand variety is a bit more luxurious.
Below is the sum of its pros and cons:
Pros
- Wide variety of luxury and affordable luxury fashion brands
- Good customer service
- Eventually, you get your item or money back
Cons
- Deals do not always include trendy products
- Sometimes it is expensive.
- Return and refund may take longer than expected.
- Not all products are available for the international market.
Nordstrom Rack: It is a subsidiary department store of Nordstrom. It is the discount version of Nordstrom, where you can have great deals.
Below are the good and bad sides of its offerings:
Pros:
- Great deals and offers
- Discounted luxury items
- Very competitive prices
- A fair variety of luxury and affordable fashion brands
- Good customer service.
- Eventually, you get your item or money back.
Cons:
- Discounted items do not have all colors or sizes
- Return and refund may take longer than expected.
- Its service is not available for the international market.
Saks Fifth Avenue: It is the most luxurious US department store in terms of fashion brands.
If you are looking for high-end luxury brands in the US like Prada, GUCCI, Armani, and Balenciaga, this department store is your destination.
We do not want to go into details about the pros and cons of this retailer because it is what it is, a refined luxury store. It means expensive and high-quality, and the rest is just details.
Discount Stores:
Walmart: It is the largest retailer and biggest company by revenue in the world.
Walmart’s brand is about “Always Low Prices”, “Save Money, Live Better”, and making customers smile.
As we have said about Saks Fifth Avenue, Walmart doesn’t need a detailed presentation.
It is a place where you can have affordable brands with low and competitive prices. On top of these features, you can have the best customer service.
The only downside that we can think of is that the US part doesn’t serve the international market.
Walmart has recently made its footprint in the e-commerce world, where it has become a major competitor to Amazon.
Target: For most customers, Target and Walmart could look the same in terms of their products. Yet, each one has its label brand. It has an expressive slogan: “Expect More, Pay Less”
Target is also a marketplace for affordable brands with low prices. However, you may find a tiny up-price difference in Target.
Moreover, online presence and experience are not the same as Walmart.
As for other discount stores and closeouts like T.J.Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls, they are the place for great deals and off-price items.
Unfortunately, these US stores do not serve other markets. Even, their websites do not open in our part of the world.
Therefore, we cannot give you a detailed description of what they offer and how they serve. But if you manage to reach them, no question, you can have great deals.
Costco: It is the second biggest retailer in the world. Costco is a wholesale that sells in retail. That is what distinguishes this retailer from any other retailer. It is the optimal place for bulk buying for its low-price, offers, and collection.
Maybe Costco is better known for its grocery section, but as a fashion retailer, Walmart and Target are a better option for their wider collections and brands.
Moreover, Costco is a subscription-based retailer. It means that you need to be a member to be able to buy from there either online or offline.
These low-price stores have started as brick and mortar stores. Their bands are built on providing optimal customer service, where they have excelled over the years.
They have become incorporated within the American consumerism culture.
However, their online presence and pursuit is a novice in comparison with Amazon. They are trying to transform their physical approach to customer service into the virtual world.
Throughout our years of e-commerce experience, Amazon is no doubt the ultimate online store when it comes to customer service. Your money is almost guaranteed.
Yet, these low-price online department stores are pursuing to follow suit, especially Walmart.
Walmart has a new offering Walmart+, which resembles Amazon Prime but with more of its physical privileges. If Walmart succeeds in its incorporating its heritage of customer service with its online endeavors, the online-retailing battle will be more vigorous.
As for other discount stores and closeouts like T.J.Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls, they are the place for great deals and off-price items.
Unfortunately, these US stores do not serve other markets. Even, their websites do not open in our part of the world.
Therefore, we cannot give you a detailed description of what they offer and how they serve. But if you manage to reach them, no question, you can have great deals.
Before we end up our presentation, we would like to add three more interesting websites for high-quality fashion and designer brands, which are only available online. These websites are Farfetch, Etsy, and eBay.
Farfetch: It is a designer luxury fashion online store. It has great deals on luxury fashion brands like GUCCI, Balenciaga, Tory Burch, and Versace.
But its offerings sometimes are limited and do not have a wide variety.
Etsy: It is a unique online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and customized products. The items you may find on this online shopping store are hard to find elsewhere.
eBay: It is a worldwide online marketplace. It has a unique and different online model from all other online stores we have mentioned here.
It is a sort of auction marketplace, where you can buy directly from the seller with the posted price, or you get into bidding for the highest price.
Anyone can post and sell a product on eBay. This a vice and virtue at the same time. You can get a very cheap price for some luxury items, but it is hard to check the products’ authenticity.
Although these two online stores have unique and luxury items, their return policy is not that friendly, especially for Etsy and eBay as they have sellers from different parts of the world.
How can I buy from these stores?
The online stores mentioned in this article, other than eBay and Amazon, do not ship directly to Jordan. If you want to shop from these places, you need a US physical address and US credit card.
We can think of one trusted service that can help you shop and ship from these online stores with less hustle and more enjoyment. It is Tojarcom.
Tojarcom can even help you shop and ship from other trusted online stores in the UK and Europe.
However, you can have many intermediary and shipping services in Jordan that can help you shop and ship from eBay or Amazon.
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