Amazon is getting set to go into sportswear

Makalot Industrial, a Taiwanese vendor that produces clothing for Gap, Uniqlo and Kohl's, is reportedly making apparel for the Amazon line

Amazon.com is tapping some of the biggest athletic-apparel suppliers to make a foray into private-label sportswear, according to people familiar with the matter, setting the stage for further upheaval in an already-tumultuous industry.

Makalot Industrial, a Taiwanese vendor that produces clothing for Gap, Uniqlo and Kohl’s, is making apparel for the Amazon line, a person with knowledge of the arrangement said. Eclat Textile, another Taiwanese supplier, is contributing to the effort as well — a relationship first noted by SinoPac Securities analyst Silvia Chiu.

The project is new and long-term contracts haven’t been signed yet, according to people involved. The manufacturers are producing small amounts of products for Amazon as part of a trial, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the effort isn’t being promoted yet.

Amazon has previously ventured into private-label fashion, offering office clothing, jackets and dresses under names like Goodthreads and Paris Sunday. But pushing into activewear would bring fresh competition to some of the world’s biggest athletic brands.

Eclat’s involvement is especially noteworthy because it makes clothing for Nike, Lululemon Athletica and Under Armour and has key expertise in making high-performance sportswear.

Shares of Lululemon fell as much as 4.9 per cent to $57.55 after Bloomberg reported on Amazon’s sportswear efforts Friday. Under Armour declined as much as 2.8 per cent. Nike also slipped, through its shares recovered, closing up 0.3 per cent at $50.98.