A $129.99 winter coat by Chinese fashion label Orolay has become a number one best-seller on Amazon, becoming so popular it is now known as the “Amazon coat,” after going viral on social media.
The Women’s Thickened Down Jacket has been reviewed more than 6,000 times on the e-commerce site and comes in five colors, with shoppers saying they are delighted to have got their hands on one.
“Just as expected. Love,” wrote one in a review on Amazon, adding: “It’s warm and I am pleased and happy I spotted this so, so often when in NYC and now I have mine all the way in London.” Another wrote: “Finally got after seeing 20 women wearing (it) during one walk.”
Some reviewers compared Orolay to outerwear from designer labels such as Canada Goose and Moncler, which typically sell coats for upwards of $900.
The Jiaxing Zichi Trade Co owns the Orolay label and is headquartered in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. Orolay was founded in 2006 and started selling online in 2010, mainly targeting people in North America and Western Europe.
The company does its own design, manufacturing and distribution, which it says means it can pay workers fairly and sell garments profitably. “Our goal is to establish a fashion brand beloved by people throughout the world,” it states on its website.
Its success is due in part to the influence of shoppers’ peers, according to Alexis DeSalva, a senior retail and e-commerce analyst at consultancy Mintel. Fifty-six percent of women aged 18 to 34 would be willing to buy something because a friend posted about it on social media, compared to 38 percent for all age-groups, according to a survey by Mintel in the U.S. in September 2018.
“A well-reviewed item or one shared on certain social platforms can influence women’s shopping decisions, prompting them to buy an item and even share their purchase with others, which can result in a domino effect,” DeSalva said in an email to CNBC.
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