Amazon Cuts Jobs In Its Fashion And Fitness Group, According To Internal Messages

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy

Noah Berger/Noah Berger

• Amazon is cutting jobs in its Fashion and Fitness group, according to internal messages seen by BI.
• A spokesperson said the cuts affect about 200 employees.
• Amazon has been trying to expand in apparel and fashion categories for years.

Amazon is cutting jobs in its Fashion and Fitness group, according to internal messages seen by Business Insider.

One of the internal messages, posted to an internal Amazon Slack channel, said San Diego-based employees in this group, known as F2, were let go recently.

An Amazon spokesperson said the role eliminations affect roughly 200 employees across the country.

"We're always looking at our team structures to ensure we're best set up to move fast as we innovate for customers," the spokesperson said. "We've adjusted parts of our North America Stores team because we believe this structure will better enable us to deliver on our priorities. As part of these changes, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles, and we're committed to supporting affected employees through their transition." ­

The job cuts are likely unrelated to Amazon's plans to shut down Try Before You Buy, previously known as Prime Wardrobe. This service lets consumers order clothing, try it on, and either send it back or buy it.

Amazon has tried several times to expand in apparel and fashion categories. This part of the retail industry can be more challenging for e-commerce businesses because consumers often prefer to try own items before buying them. When online clothing orders don't fit, and consumers send products back, that can be expensive and cut into profit margins.

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