Amazon cuts a serviceJeff Bezos' company has announced that the “Try first, pay later” option, launched in 2018 in the United States and introduced in Italy in 2021, will be closed permanently on January 31, 2025. This initiative allowed Amazon Prime subscribers to select up to six items of clothing, shoes or accessories to try on at home, without any initial payment. Customers could Return unwanted items free of charge within seven days and pay only those who decided to keep.
An innovative idea for e-commerce, which, however, over time, it failed to take off, mainly due to high costs, environmental impact and increasing competition from new technologies based on artificial intelligence.
Amazon Wardrobe: A Missed Revolution
The program, born as “Amazon Wardrobe”, was conceived to changing the online shopping experience forever, especially in a sector, that of clothing, notoriously problematic for returns. Initially, the service had achieved great success in North America, so much so that Amazon was pushed to bring it to Italy as well.
The idea was to try on the clothes as if we were in the shop, but directly to our home, without the risk of going crazy about sizes or queuing at the checkout. Too bad that, despite the initial enthusiasm, the logistical difficulties and the impact on costs have raised more than a few doubts about its sustainability.
Rationalization and cost containment: Amazon's new philosophy
The decision to close “Try First, Pay Later” is part of a wider extensive cost rationalization strategy that Amazon has undertaken since 2022, the year in which Andy jassy became CEO. After the pandemic, the company launched a series of interesting initiatives, but some have proven too expensive or difficult to scale. In this “repositioning” phase, Amazon has decided to do some heavy cut, including the closure of projects such as the Amazon Care Telemedicine Service and the dismissal of over 27 thousand employees. Objective? Optimize resources, focusing on more advanced technological solutions that can improve the customer experience without increasing costs.
An eye on the planet: the environmental burden of returns
It's not just a question of costs, though. The closure of "Try First, Pay Later" also has a strong connection with the environment. E-commerce, especially in the clothing sector, is one of the main drivers of Co2 emissions and waste resulting from returns. According to a study, about 70% of people between 25 and 44 years Return items purchased online, generating not only a significant waste of time and money, but also a devastating environmental impact.
Amazon has therefore decided to review its policy for try to reduce the return cycle, focusing on more efficient technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which can improve the accuracy of purchases and reduce the need for returns. It should be noted, however, that although AI offers advantages in terms of optimizing purchasing choices and is more sustainable in a policy of reducing returns, its use it still has an environmental impact, linked to the energy consumption of the infrastructures that support it.
Amazon focuses on artificial intelligence: the future is digital
Here then is that Artificial intelligence comes into play, the true protagonist of the new era of Amazon. The company has developed functions such as Virtual Try-On, which allows users to see in 3D how clothes or shoes will look on them thanks to their smartphone camera. So, no more fear of wrong sizes or the risk of not liking yourself in the mirror! AI is also improving personalized recommendation systems, automatically suggesting the right size and thus reducing the number of returns. An important step towards a future where “trying first” will no longer be necessary.
E-commerce of the future: personalization and sustainability
The Closing of “Try First, Pay Later” it is not an isolated case. Other giants in the sector, like Zalando, have already reduced the return periods for optimize costs and reduce waste, while the general trend is increasingly towards the use of technologies that improve the shopping experience, reduce returns and, above all, lower the environmental impact.
But Amazon doesn't stop there: it's investing heavily in new technologies, such as drone delivery (service recently activated also in Italy) and the increasing automation of processes, with the aim of keeping up with the times in an increasingly competitive market.
