Transcript
Lisa (0:00)
Amazon's mobile shopping app is now featuring products from other sites. Amazon is testing a new feature that enables users of the Amazon Shopping app to find select products from other sites and go there to purchase them. Currently in beta, the Shop Brand sites directly feature is live for some US Customers and will be rolled out to more based on feedback, the company said on a Tuesday, February 11th press release. Customers who have access to this beta search will find in their search results select products that Amazon doesn't sell in its store alongside the products that Amazon does sell. And they will see a link to the brand's website, according to the release. When customers click on that link, they will receive a notification that they are leaving Amazon and will go directly to the brand's website where they can evaluate the product and make purchases directly from that brand. Now, here's the kicker. If that brand happens to have Buy with Prime enabled products, prime members will then be provided with free delivery, easy returns and customer support for the items that they purchase directly on that brand's website. Lisa, we're going to you here with this one. Again, what are the pros and cons here of Amazon testing if consumers will want to buy products from other websites via the Amazon mobile app?
David (1:13)
Yeah, look, we all know there's always an angle with Amazon, right? How they're going to drive more, right? So I think at the end you kind of hit on it. Look, if it's Prime, Amazon's winning anyhow, right? Because they're doing the back end of that execution. They're collecting data, right. They're gaining a financial benefit. They're also gaining insights of what don't I have on my site. You know, maybe their algorithms aren't perfect, but now this will be a new algorithm they can add because they'll have some access, some way to understand how the consumer, you know, is going from site to site. Look, I, I don't know that I can necessarily see a con on it at the end of the day because ultimately there's so many different learning and revenue streams and opportunities that I think Amazon does get from this. Plus, in a lot of ways it'll benefit their partners. So it actually, in a different way is, is a new positive shift on their partnerships because they're saying, hey, if you don't allow us to carry this from you on our site, we're going to still support you. Now, likely they're driving that kind of prime deal with them simultaneously. But honestly, I think generally speaking for amaz, a win win for brands that don't have you know, great accessibility. I think it's a win for those brands. So I'm not really sure I see a big con here as it relates to Amazon and the consumer experience here because basically the consumer wants fast. Amazon has trained them that way and they're going to get it any way they want it now.
Lisa (2:51)