J.Crew is the latest retailer to start selling on Amazon after saying it wouldn't (AMZN)

16:27 - 05 September 2018

J.Crew Mercantile is the company's value-oriented label, which was initially offered as a line at its factory stores and later rolled out into its own stores in 2015. It offers a mix of clothing from women's T-shirts costing $12.50 to men's shirts costing $45.

The new partnership marks a decisive shift in J.Crew's strategy as its new CEO looks to make the brand more accessible.
J.Crew Mercantile is the company's value-oriented label, which was initially offered as a line at its factory stores and later rolled out into its own stores in 2015.

If you can't beat them, join them.

On Wednesday, J.Crew became the latest brand to sell its wares on Amazon after initially holding out.

J.Crew's Amazon page features pieces from Mercantile, the company's value-oriented label, which was initially offered as a line at its factory stores and later rolled out into its own stores in 2015. It offers a mix of clothing from women's T-shirts costing $12.50 to men's shirts costing $45.

The news may have come as a surprise to some considering that J.Crew's former and longtime CEO, Mickey Drexler, has said in the past that the company had no plans to ever sell on Amazon.

However, the Amazon partnership fits neatly into the strategy of J.Crew's new CEO, Jim Brett, and his push to make the brand more accessible. J.Crew had been accused of becoming unaffordable and impractical and had alienated some customers under the leadership of Drexler and the company's longtime creative director, Jenna Lyons.

Brett's strategy seems to be paying off. J.Crew's same-store sales numbers turned a corner in the company's most recent quarterly results after dropping for the last three years. In August, J.Crew's namesake brand reported a 1% increase in comparable sales for the second quarter.

According to The Journal, J.Crew is selling the merchandise directly to Amazon, and beyond providing photos for the listings, it will not have control over how the items are warehoused and shipped.

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