Amazon’s Biggest Shopify Challenge - Positioning

SaaS
Written By Rick Watson

Let's continue on the Amazon Shopify discussion for a moment and talk about Amazon's biggest challenge: positioning.

"As a merchant, how do I think about Amazon's Store offering relative to my current store - is it a replacement?"

I feel Amazon's store offering will not be a replacement. In sales, the hardest sale to make is a replacement sale. You never want to do it. You want it to be easy. How can you give 3 million Amazon sellers a store? What % have a store today because they don't want to figure out advertising. Quite a large number.

I think there could be several new advertising offerings to come with their new store. Also, Amazon needs to combat the struggles of brands on the platform.

Which is to say: - Amazon is not going to be competing head to head with any existing store, out of the gate. It's more, step one is to prevent lower end stores from diversifying on another platform. And step two is to enhance brand presence on Amazon by offering a multi-channel content hub.

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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