Amazon Canada launches new online stores for clothes, shoes

Amazon.com Inc's Canadian unit said it launched new online stores dedicated to clothes and shoes, adding 1.5 million items to its inventory, at a time when traditional retailers in the country continue to struggle with lower traffic.

Amazon.ca said it would now offer brands such as Levi's, Puma, and French Connection. The online retailer had added online stores such as "home automation" and "wearable technology" last year, pushing inventory past 100 million items.

The move underscores retailers' need to cope with the shifting preferences of customers in Canada, who are increasingly shopping online and forcing companies to offer services such as free or same-day shipping to compete effectively.

Traditional brick-and-mortar stores in Canada have been struggling over the past few years, and once-popular names such as Reitmans Canada Ltd and Jacob Inc have drastically reduced outlets.

Target Corp said in January that it would close all of its 133 stores in Canada and put the local business in bankruptcy.