This means that Amazon are actively selling this item themselves, often alongside brands themselves and/or 3rd party Online Arbitrage sellers.
It can be easy to be put off when Amazon are on a listing:
They control who has the Buy Box so it is often assumed they will dominate it
Their costs are lower than 3rd party sellers (i.e. no fees) so could undercut them
Delivery when buying from Amazon can be assumed to be quicker
This is not always the case – in fact in a lot of cases more than one of these reasons is not accurate.
Amazon being active on a listing is shown in the BuyBotPro Competition Analysis with an orange box in the Stock Level column.
If, as above, Amazon hold the Buy Box at a price significantly lower than the competition this would suggest they aggressively dominate it.
This is confirmed by the Buy Box Analysis feature. The red indicator suggests that Amazon doesn’t, or does rarely, share the Buy Box with other sellers at least in the last 90 days.
A more detailed analysis can be found in the Buy Box Statistics feature, and for this ASIN it confirms it with Amazon holding the Buy Box 95% of the time, even stretching further back to a 365 day analysis.
This ASIN is an example of BuyBotPro helping to prevent sellers investing in a listing in which they might well struggle to move stock, even if they price competitively.
If the Buy Box Analysis were to give some indication of Amazon sharing the Buy Box, as the above example, then it would become a much more viable option.
When BuyBotPro shows Amazon as the only, or one of only a couple of competitors, in the Competition Analysis then it is often advisable to take caution. This could mean the presence of one or two of several mitigating conditions on that listing:
There are IP (Intellectual Property) issues
Amazon dominate the Buy Box and have seen off competitors
They have priced it too low for third-party sellers to compete
It is an Exclusive to Amazon product
In any or a combination of these scenarios it is likely to prove, even in the best case, difficult to make sales.
When Amazon are on what is a competitive listing – and even when they are holding the Buy Box – consider the Delivery Date in the Competition Analysis.
Not all customers automatically click on the Buy Box when purchasing an item. Many will consider speed of delivery more important than price. Amazon show alternatives to the Buy Box that can be delivered faster, so these buyers are likely to pick another seller.
In the example above, 5 of the next 6 sellers are likely to deliver faster – some by several days.
Even if Amazon did dominate the Buy Box in this scenario, sales by third-party sellers are still very possible.
Just because Amazon are present on a listing at the time of analysis doesn’t mean they always are. Using the BuyBotPro Chart, check to see if Amazon ever drop off the listing – especially if it is a high-selling product.
When the shaded orange area (visible when the Amazon toggle is on) has a break in it, Amazon aren’t active on the listing. A gap of even just a few days opens the door for other sellers to make sales.
If Amazon have appeared on a listing you are already on, check the chart and see if there is history of them being on a listing, or a pattern of them dropping off a listing. It is possible they are selling a handful of unassigned stock, acquired some liquidated items or are simply testing an ASIN.
Amazon jumping onto, or being present on, a listing doesn’t need to mean it should be avoided. Use BuyBotPro’s features to do a quick and detailed analysis to determine if it will prove prohibitive.