Amazon

AmazonAmazon.com is in talks to bring listings for J. Crew khakis, Ralph Lauren polo shirts and Lord & Taylor suits to its site, according to people familiar with the talks. The discussions, which seek to win over retailers that have largely shunned the online marketplace, involve about 10 well-known retailers, these people said, including Abercrombie & Fitch and Neiman Marcus Group Inc. Amazon wouldn’t sell the goods directly; the listings would be links to the retailers’ own sites. The arrangement would generate traffic for the retailers, while providing Amazon with more customer data and a new enticement for its Prime shipping program as it plans to raise rates. For the retailers, an accord would represent something of a deal with the devil. Amazon, with data on nearly 240 million customers and a willingness to lose money on new initiatives, is widely feared as a competitor, even among merchants that sell goods on the site.

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