Saks Fifth Avenue Partners with Amazon to Launch High-End Storefront in Major Expansion

Edited by: TJVNews.com

In a bold move that reflects shifting trends in online retail and the evolving landscape of luxury commerce, Saks Fifth Avenue is officially launching a third-party storefront on Amazon, the world’s largest online marketplace. The new digital boutique will live within Amazon Luxury, the e-commerce giant’s premium destination for designer apparel and beauty goods. According to a report on Reuters, the collaboration marks a significant expansion for both companies—further deepening Amazon’s push into the rarefied world of high fashion, and giving Saks access to a broader, digitally savvy clientele.

The announcement, made Tuesday by executives at Amazon and Saks Global—Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company—follows months of behind-the-scenes planning. As Reuters notes, Amazon has been a strategic investor in Saks Global since December 2023, when the company completed a $2.65 billion acquisition of Neiman Marcus, combining two of the most storied names in American luxury retail.

The new Saks Fifth Avenue digital storefront will feature an exclusive collection of designer goods, including coveted labels like Dolce & Gabbana and Balmain, both of which carry deep cachet with global luxury consumers. The storefront will operate as a “store within a store”, integrated into Amazon Luxury, the high-end retail platform Amazon first launched in 2020, according to the report at Reuters.

Amazon Luxury currently features an array of upscale offerings, such as clothing and accessories from Oscar de la Renta, and pre-owned designer bags from Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, two flagship brands under the LVMH conglomerate.

“We’re really excited about this opportunity to be able to access a client who’s shopping on Amazon, who is qualified for luxury,” said Emily Essner, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Saks Global, in a statement to Reuters. She emphasized that the initiative will not only expand Saks’ digital footprint but will also provide the company with new insights into customer engagement and behavior.

Importantly, the collaboration will maintain Saks Fifth Avenue’s autonomy over key operational elements. According to the information provided in the Reuters report, the luxury retailer will operate as a third-party seller on Amazon, which means it will maintain control over inventory, merchandising, pricing, and fulfillment processes. This arrangement is designed to preserve the brand integrity and customer experience that discerning luxury shoppers expect, while also benefiting from Amazon’s vast digital ecosystem.

“This is not Amazon warehousing or delivering Saks products,” said Jenny Freshwater, Amazon’s Vice President of Fashion and Fitness, speaking to Reuters. “Saks is managing its own storefront within Amazon Luxury. They are maintaining full control of their brand environment.”

This model reflects Amazon’s evolving approach to luxury: rather than selling directly, the platform provides the infrastructure and audience, while allowing luxury partners to maintain their exclusive branding, service standards, and price control.

Amazon’s entrance into luxury retail began in earnest during the pandemic, when brick-and-mortar foot traffic plummeted and e-commerce surged. In 2020, the company unveiled Amazon Luxury Stores, a highly curated section of its platform tailored for high-net-worth individuals, offering designer items with elevated visuals, 360-degree product views, and enhanced mobile experiences.

As the Reuters report noted, this latest collaboration with Saks signals Amazon’s most serious push yet into the luxury vertical, positioning it as a potential long-term competitor to platforms like Farfetch, Net-a-Porter, and even LVMH’s 24S.com.

For Saks Fifth Avenue, the timing of the partnership could not be more strategic. In recent years, the retailer has pursued an ambitious digital transformation, spinning off its e-commerce business in 2021 and investing heavily in personalization and omnichannel capabilities. The Amazon storefront represents the next step in that evolution—an opportunity to engage digitally native luxury consumers who may not frequent physical department stores.

Executives from both companies emphasized that the goal is not to cannibalize Saks’ existing customer base, but to capture a segment of affluent consumers who already shop on Amazon but may not yet be familiar with Saks’ curated offerings.

“This is about meeting the customer where they are,” Essner told Reuters. “We think this is an exciting way to reach luxury-qualified customers in an environment they already trust and shop.”

While the luxury fashion world has long viewed mass e-commerce platforms with skepticism—wary of brand dilution, counterfeiting, and discounting—Amazon’s careful handling of its luxury partnerships and its hands-off approach to brand management in this case seem designed to reassure high-end labels.

Still, as the Reuters report pointed out, success will depend on Amazon’s ability to maintain a premium digital experience while Saks continues to deliver the white-glove service that distinguishes true luxury retail.