Amazon launches separate Web store for shoes and handbags

Amazon.com today opened a new shoe and handbag store, one that may raise the cost of business for its competitors.

Endless.com features the unique — and expensive — feature of free overnight shipping on all of its more than 250 brands and 15,000 styles for men, women and children. Customers also receive free return shipping and a 110 percent price guarantee.

The beta site marks Amazon's second, independent online apparel store in the past year. In February it acquired the high-end fashion retailer Shopbop.com, which it runs separately.

Endless is the first online apparel store it created from scratch.

Most online retailers offer free-shipping promotions when customers purchase a certain dollar amount, but none offer free overnight shipping as a standard feature.

Retailer Shoes.com offers free ground shipping on all purchases, but next-day orders cost $20.50 for the first pair and $3 for each additional pair.

At Nordstrom, standard shipping is $5, while two-day is $12.50.

Amazon has invested significant time and money on technology and shipping promotions in recent years.

After finding success in its first promotion — one that offered to foot the shipping bill for orders worth $25 or more — the company introduced Amazon Prime.

For $79 a year, it offers members "all you can eat" two-day shipping on all orders, and overnight shipping for an additional $3.99 per item. The membership program is designed to encourage subscribers to buy more frequently from its site.

One such feature carried over from Prime — a countdown clock on the top of every page on Endless.com, which lets customers know order deadlines and delivery dates.

Endless also incorporates new and extensive search technology that enables customers to search by price, style, brand, size and color, both together or separately.

Amazon's shares fell $1.13 in mid-day trading to $38.33.

Monica Soto Ouchi: 206-515-5632 or msoto@seattletimes.com