Amazon India strikes deal for exclusive online launch of 'Rheson' by Sonam and Rhea Kapoor

Aiming for absolute domination in Indian e-commerce, Amazon India has been actively building on its fashion category — which is not only the highest-frequency purchase category but the highest-margin one too. As a part of its efforts, Amazon India has been bringing in brands like GAP and Under Armour exclusively on its platform. The latest brand to join the list of Amazon India’s exclusives is Rheson, launched by Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor and her sister Rhea. It will be made available through Shoppers Stop’s exclusive flagship store on Amazon.in.

In a press release, Rhea said, "We are so stoked by the runaway success of Rheson. Sonam and I wanted to create a brand keeping the Indian girl and her sensibilities in mind. So, it’s really heartening to see that girls from all over the country have taken so strongly to Rheson. We are now super excited to launch Rheson on Amazon.in and take the brand to the next level. With Shoppers Stop’s tremendous platform and Amazon.in’s extensive reach, we are confident that Rheson is going to springboard to greater heights.”

Amazon’s synergy with Shoppers Stop

In September, investment arm of Amazon.com bought five percent stake in Shoppers Stop, whose items, with exclusive space on the webpage, get more visibility on the former's platform. Rheson is also available on shoppersstop.com, the Shoppers Stop mobile app, and Shoppers Stop stores across the country.

Shoppers Stop is a one-stop shop for products across multiple categories including apparel, cosmetics, fragrances, footwear, watches, sunglasses, handbags, kids wear, toys, home decor, etc. across 400 national and international brands. It has 80 stores in 38 cities across the country.

Commenting on the launch, Arun Sirdeshmukh, Head, Amazon Fashion, said, “Taking our commercial partnership with SSL forward, we are thrilled to launch Rheson, one of the most successful brands at Shoppers Stop, on Amazon.in. Drawing upon each other’s strengths to serve the evolving customer base in India, this launch further extends Amazon Fashion’s leadership in selection and offers customers instant and easy access across the country. We will continue to introduce new fashion products and brands from their wide portfolio and enable Shoppers Stop to access Amazon.in’s nationwide customer base and expand reach in newer geographies.”

Exclusivity matters

Amazon India hosts 15,000 brands and over two million products. In 2016, Amazon Fashion inked deals with over 150 top fashion brands, including Aeropostale, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, and Versus Versace. However, rival Flipkart has had a bit of a headstart, with the homegrown e-commerce major selling fashion products on its own platform and through subsidiaries Myntra and Jabong. Flipkart, together with Myntra and Jabong, claims to have a 75 percent share in online fashion retail. Hence, it is essential for Amazon India to build on the category with exclusive brands to attract more traffic. With the popularity of Rheson coming from its celebrity founders, the brand, which was launched earlier this year, shall add to the e-commerce platform’s arsenal.

Rheson is making its debut on Amazon.in with five main themes — Inspiration from the Nostalgic 90s, Mogra, Relaxistan, Emoji, and the Mithai collections. Pronounced ‘reason’, the selection is entirely curated by the sisters. Rheson’s price range is Rs 799–3,599.

The press release quoted Sonam as saying, “Shoppers Stop has been a true partner in every sense. And we are now thrilled to extend this collaboration by partnering with Amazon.in. We believe that with Amazon.in’s wide reach and scale, Rheson can reach every nook and cranny, giving young girls and women easy access to affordable glamour.”