Ronald Friedman, Co-Leader, Retail/Consumer Products Industry Group, Quoted in The New York Times Article "Amazon Plans Its Next Conquest: Your Closet"
New York Times
By Stephanie Clifford
Excerpt:
It has also unsettled much of the retail clothing world as fears grow that few will be able to compete with a stepped-up Amazon.
For some brands, the company’s size alone — it is the world’s biggest e-commerce site — makes an overture from Amazon difficult to reject. “The amount of eyeballs and traffic and retail dollars that are generated through their Web site” is impressive, said Alex Bhathal, co-president of Raj Manufacturing, which makes licensed swimwear brands like Ella Moss and has been expanding what it sells through Amazon.
Amazon can also offer brands more attractive terms than many other stores. For instance, while department stores often ask for “markdown money” when items do not sell, or return unsold product to a brand, Amazon does not, said Ron Friedman, an accountant at Marcum LLP who advises brands like James Perse and American Rag.
