In October 2017, Amazon launched its very first furniture and décor brands: Rivet and Stone & Beam. Although the team had offered a small curation of items for the home through legacy brands like AmazonBasics and Pinzon, this was the first time they had launched brands dedicated to this space that would offer everything from sofas and bed frames to curtains and art. Most recently, the team introduced a third furniture brand called Ravenna Home. Between the three, Amazon now offers hundreds of home products for customers to explore and shop from in different styles, sizes and textures—all available for convenient doorstep or in-home delivery.
We spoke with Brand Manager for Amazon's home brands, Alysha Boyd-Jones, to learn more about how her team brings products and trends to life.
Walk us through the development process of a product from start to finish.
Our team has built overarching brand architectures that detail the reasons to believe in our brands, customers each brand serves and pillars of design, aesthetic and value proposition that are core to each brand. As we move through our product development process, we work to ensure our product assortment always tracks back to those fundamental brand elements. For example, Rivet is a brand anchored in mid-century modern style, aimed at fashionable, urban dwellers. Stone & Beam is a more family-oriented brand that aims to deliver comfort, durability and long-lasting style to customers likely living in more suburban areas. We partner with best-in-class suppliers and manufacturers to bring high-quality products to customers, leveraging their expertise in construction, material and design. We then shoot product, vignette and editorial imagery to use across various marketing channels to bring our brands to life digitally, building custom photography for each room within a home that you could find our brands.
Does the team develop products specifically for each season, or are different products always in development?
As our brands grow, we continue to develop evergreen products that we believe customers will love over the long term, while also sprinkling in seasonal selection that keeps our assortment fresh and our customers curious about what else is coming from our brands. Think planters for spring and summer.
Where do you find inspiration? What countries or areas do you source ideas from?
Our team is tuned into global trends and uses those trends as inspiration for product development. You can see nods to different regions with Rivet, for example—particularly in our textile assortment where we play with adaptations of globally-inspired patterns and colors to give customers endless options for customizing their spaces.
How do you decide what materials to use?
Our team is made up of category experts who work hard to bring different trends to customers, and selecting materials is a big part of product development. You can see this clearly play out in Stone & Beam’s vintage-inspired selection. Products feature materials like antique brass, dark iron metals and reclaimed pine that allow customers to add a touch of 'vintage farmhouse' to their spaces.
Any trends you’re excited about for Holiday décor this year?
Velvet is in! We’re excited to offer customers a strong selection of Rivet velvet pieces for any room that help customers to build that luxe, holiday feeling within their home as they prep for the season. I also get excited about our new lighting collection within Stone & Beam. Lighting is sometimes overlooked but can actually have a big impact on a room’s style—not to mention it's a great option for customers looking to change up their space in a quick or cost-effective way.
