How Amazon Prime Plays a Role In The Retail Experience

Article by: Lauren Stair

March 22, 2023

• Strategy and Thought Leadership

Amazon is no longer just a platform for shopping; it’s a crucial component of a successful eCommerce strategy. Brands that want to stay ahead of the curve must embrace this and leverage their strengths to reach a wider audience, improve their customer experience, and increase their sales.

The question isn’t whether brands should be on Amazon but how to effectively compete on the platform and stand out. By leveraging Amazon’s vast customer base and its suite of tools and services, brands can tap into a massive pool of potential customers and stay competitive in an ever-evolving market to increase their bottom line. 

In recent years, the retail landscape has shifted towards Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands bypassing Amazon altogether. However, Amazon has made a strategic move with its Buy with Prime program, utilizing the key benefits of the Prime membership across thousands of D2C sites.

Contrary to popular belief, this move does not diminish Amazon’s ability to monetize its customers, as they still rely on the Prime membership to make purchases. In fact, it only makes the Prime membership, a key revenue driver for Amazon, more attractive and “sticky” for customers.

“It’s important to understand that Amazon is not just a platform for purchasing items but a membership service. The more Amazon can bolster that membership with perks, experiences, and exclusives, the more valuable it becomes to customers, allowing the company to charge more for the membership.” – John Ghiorso, SVP of Global eCommerce at Media.Monks

Prime is the long-term key for Amazon, evident in its expansion into healthcare, travel, banking, and financial services.