Michael Jackson Returns: Amazon's Thriller Deal
E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. has sold thousands of Michael Jackson books and CDs. Now, Amazon is betting that Michael Jackson fans will open their wallets for the Seattle-headquartered retailer’s exclusive on replicas of the jackets that the star wore on his iconic “Beat It” and “Thriller” videos.
Named after the Parisian designer who designed Jackson’s looks in the 1980s, the Marc Laurent Exclusive jackets debuted Nov. 9 on the online emporium’s fashion market. Amazon will sell the Marc Laurent jackets exclusively on its fashion site.
There will be a limited run of 500 for each jacket style. The jackets will retail for $2,350. While “Thriller” jackets have been manufactured in the past, none of the previous replicas exactly re-created the jackets that the music superstar wore on the “Beat It” and “Thriller” videos, said Steeve Bohbot, the businessman who put together the deal with Amazon, the Jackson family and the Michael Jackson estate.
The Marc Laurent Exclusive jackets also will bear a patch inside signed by Jackson’s brothers, who performed with Michael Jackson in the Jackson 5 in 1970s and in the 1984 Victory Tour. They will also come with a letter of authenticity.
The jackets were made in Mexico under a licensing agreement with the Michael Jackson estate and Laurent, said Bohbot, who runs the Connected International Sales showroom in Los Angeles.
Bohbot had been a family friend of the Jackson family since he was a playmate of Jermaine Jackson’s kids in the early 1980s. Amazon developed interest in replica jackets when Amazon buyers saw one at a trade show booth in 2010 for Bohbot’s J5 Collection line. The collection’s T-shirts, backpacks and jackets bearing the Jackson 5 images have been sold at Kitson.
Amazon’s exclusive fashion venture is unique, said Holland Smith, director for merchandising and buying for e-commerce retailer Karmaloop. Amazon sells dresses from top brands such as Guess? and Bebe, as well as jeans from True Religion and 7 For All Mankind, but the website has not been known to debut new looks.
“They’re giving you what you already know is cool,” Smith said. “They’re not putting you onto the next thing in the market.”
Amazon is on a growth spurt. It will open 17 new distribution centers by the end of this year. For its third-quarter net revenue, which was reported on Oct. 25, the company earned $10.8 billion, slightly lower than Wall Street estimates of $10.9 billion, according to Herman Leung, an analyst for Susquehanna Financial Group.
Bohbot said he hopes Jackson’s loyal fans and memorabilia hunters will buy this jacket. “These jackets are the most famous in the world,” he said. “The exact replica has never been made.”—Andrew Asch
