Amazon's inspo for Allbirds knockoff: "We'll call it, McDowell's"
Most concerning holiday gift ever... AmazonBasics — the low-cost versions of simple stuff, from dorm-worthy extension cords to half-price iPhone chargers. Now Amazon has taken its cheaper private label brands to a new level: Ripping off name-brand innovators and their top products. The latest victim is Allbirds.
Behold, the "206 Collection" wool sneakers... They look just like these iconic Allbirds wool shoes — they're straight-up copycat kicks made by Amazon, meant to capture Allbirds fans who want to pay half the price. Here's how Amazon tries to steal sales from Allbirds, the startup specializing in sustainably-made, simply-designed wool shoes.
Amazon search is how Amazon nails knockoffs... Allbirds doesn't sell on Amazon because it would be awkwardly placed next to cheaper/identical shoes like "Urban Fox Wool Runner". Amazon claimed this summer that its 100+ private label brands make up just 1% of its sales, but that's a lot. And it's growing. Here's their 4-step algorithmically-informed knockoff strategy: