Last year, Amazon launched its AI-powered Shop Direct feature that displays products that are available for sale off-Amazon. On Wednesday, Amazon added the ability for merchants to send their product feeds through third-party syndicators for exposure on Amazon through Shop Direct.
“In response to interest from merchants, Amazon is making it easier to sign up to participate in Shop Direct through third-party feeds that streamline reaching new customers and driving traffic to their stores,” it explained in today’s announcement.
Merchants can connect their product catalogs through third-party feeds including Feedonomics, Salsify, and CEDCommerce. “Our vision is that whenever a customer asks for a specific brand or product on Amazon, we can help them find it and buy it—even if that product is only available in another store,” Amazon said.
That vision could be expressed another way: Amazon wants to replace Google as the first place people start their shopping journey, something that has helped Google retain its position as a top search engine and boost its advertising revenue.
“Merchant store names are clearly displayed so customers know who they’re buying from, whether they choose to shop directly on a merchant’s website or request Amazon purchase the product on their behalf with Buy for Me,” Amazon said. More information about Shop Direct and Buy for Me are available on this Amazon help page.
Feed syndicators have been around for a long time to help merchants sync their inventory across multiple marketplaces and search engines, and Amazon said it planned to add additional syndicators. It will also be adding an Amazon merchant portal with a merchant-direct feed, a la Google Merchant Center.
Salsify Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Rob Gonzalez said in a statement, “We are thrilled to partner with Amazon to bring Shop Direct Product Feeds to our customers. It’s a win for any merchant who wants to grow their brand and product visibility without adding more complexity to their day-to-day operations. By opening up this beta, Amazon is giving brands a free, direct path to connect with new shoppers and drive that traffic straight back to their own websites to finish the purchase.”
