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The e-commerce giant is letting Prime customers shop from online retailers beyond Amazon.com – while still getting Prime benefits.
Amazon is introducing Buy With Prime, a scheme that will allow its US-based Prime members to shop from online merchants beyond Amazon’s own website.
The participating third-party merchants will be decided by Amazon and the initiative will initially be invite-only to online stores already using Amazon’s fulfilment network. However, the company said that as it continues the Buy With Prime roll-out during 2022, the scheme will be expanded beyond the current parameters.
Prime members in the US will be able to purchase goods directly from a participating online store while still receiving Prime benefits such as next-day free delivery.
The Prime logo will appear on eligible products in merchants’ online stores and Prime customers can also use the shipping and payment information stored in their Amazon account when they are purchasing from these merchants.
Jamil Ghani, vice-president of Amazon Prime, said that the new scheme will add more value to Prime customers’ membership. “Members will have the flexibility to shop from merchants directly, all while enjoying the fast, free delivery, seamless checkout and easy returns they’ve come to know and love from Amazon.”
When a Prime customer shops with a participating retailer, the merchant will receive the shopper’s order information including email addresses. Amazon said merchants can use this info to provide customer service and build direct relationships with shoppers.
Pricing for merchants using Buy With Prime is based on a service fee, a payment processing fee and fulfilment and storage fees that are calculated per unit. There is no subscription fee or long-term contract required.
“For over 20 years, we’ve been empowering small and medium-sized businesses with opportunities to grow,” said Peter Larsen, Amazon’s vice-president of Buy with Prime. “Allowing merchants to offer Prime shopping benefits on their own direct-to-consumer online stores is an exciting next step in our mission to help merchants of all sizes grow their business – whether on Amazon or beyond.”
Earlier this year, Amazon announced it was pivoting into physical fashion by opening a clothes store in Los Angeles.
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