Oprah picked a sweater made by an Amazon-owned brand as one of her 'Favorite Things'
- Oprah Winfrey releases a list of her "Favorite Things" ahead of the holidays every year.
- She picked a sweater from Lark & Ro - a brand owned and exclusively sold by Amazon - as one of her "Favorite Things" for 2017.
- The selection comes amid a push by Amazon to be a bigger player in apparel.
Oprah is leaning into Amazon's fashion options.
Though she has been making her wish list for years, the media mogul started releasing her annual holiday "Favorite Things" recommendation in conjunction with Amazon in 2015. Since then, it has always featured a smattering of Amazon-branded products, like Kindles and Echoes, and included links to where products are available for sale on the website.
This year, however, marks the first time that Oprah has chosen an item of clothing from Amazon's own stable of private-label brands, recommending a Lark & Ro cashmere sweater that retails for $128.
What she had to say about it was a little different from the stock description:
A high-profile endorsement like this one from one of America's most beloved personalities could mean a lot for Amazon's still-young clothing labels. Lately, it's relied more on celebrities' star power, like when it launched a new line called Dear Drew with Drew Barrymore.
Amazon is trying to become a much bigger player in apparel overall, and it has launched numerous private-label brands for both men and women.
It's also launched a service for Amazon Prime members called Prime Wardrobe, which takes a lot of the hassle out of buying clothes online by making them easier for customers to return. Rumors are also swirling that it will enter the sportswear business, which accounts for a large chunk of apparel sales in the US.
Amazon is expected to pass Macy's as the US' largest apparel seller this year, according to Cowen & Co. Its clothing and accessory sales are expected to grow nearly 30% next year, to $28 billion. Currently, Amazon claims only 6.6% of the apparel market, but that is expected to increase to 16.2% in the next five years.