Amazon buys niche apparel site

Online retailer Amazon.com has acquired Shopbop.com to boost its existing apparel and accessories product line on its online store.

According to a statement issued by Amazon, Shopbop.com will continue to operate as a standalone site, and its customer interface and existing operations in Madison, Wisconsin, in the United States will remain.

A shopping site specializing in fashion, shoes and accessories for women, Shopbop.com, carries over 75 labels and appeals to fashion-savvy worldwide, Amazon noted. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Shopbop.com is the second Amazon-owned online retail site to run independently of the e-commerce giant's six country-specific sites around the world. The other, Joyo.com, a virtual Chinese bookstore, was acquired by Amazon in the second half of 2004. According to Amazon's Web site, the deal had an estimated transaction value of about US$75 million at the time of the announcement in August 2004.