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The one thing Amazon sellers don’t want to admit

(and how it’s destroying your margins)

A couple of weeks ago, we got our new dog.

And like any normal human trying to be a responsible dog parent, I went on Amazon and bought: `

  • A leash
  • Some chew toys
  • One of those rope things that’s supposed to last “forever” (it didn’t)
  • And treats (obviously)

Nothing fancy.

I typed in “dog,” scrolled for maybe… six seconds, and clicked the products that:

  • Had the most reviews
  • Looked decent
  • Were priced right

In total, I bought $128 worth of “dog products” from 4 different sellers.

Did I check the brand names?
Nope. 
Did I read their “About Us” story?
Hell no. 

To be honest, I couldn’t tell you one brand right now if you put a gun to my head.


To be even more honest, I couldn’t care less about them…

amazon-sellers

As far as I’m concerned, I bought everything from Amazon.

Not from a ma & pa shop.
Not from a founder.
Not from a “brand” pouring their soul into this.

Amazon was the brand.

Your brand story – why you exist, what problem you solve, what you care about – this matters more than ever when you’re the “new brand in town.”

And here’s the worst part:

If I see the exact same products tomorrow – same shape, same color – just $4 cheaper from another listing? Yeah. I’m buying that one.

No loyalty. No relationship. No hesitation.

And I’m a pet owner, arguably the most emotionally irrational consumer category that exists.

But what’s really sad?

These sellers did nothing wrong. They didn’t lose me…

They just never had me in the first place.

Amazon sellers keep saying: “I’m building a brand.”

But are you?

When the (overwhelming) majority of buyers don’t even know your brand exists.

We remember:

  • Prime shipping
  • Arrived in one day
  • Cost X dollars
  • Came in a box with a big smile


We remember Amazon.
Not you pal.


You are a vendor, a listing, a replaceable option.

You’ve built a convertible listing, but not a brand.


A listing I will abandon the second something cheaper slides into view.
Not because you’re a bad seller. But because Amazon trained me to:
Buy fast. Buy on price. Buy on convenience. Don’t think about the seller…
And if I don’t think about you… Why would I ever come back to buy?

I’m a loyal AMAZON buyer. I really don’t care about “your brand”.

If your repeat purchase rate is garbage and your margins feel like they’re melting…

It’s not because your product isn’t good.

It’s because Amazon never let you build a relationship with me in the first place.

That’s why the business feels so fragile.

You’re always one algorithm change from being gone.

One copycat listing away from being squeezed out.

One cheaper version and “your customer” is gone.

You’re not losing customers. They were never yours in the first place.


When you start selling on your own site, building an actual brand – something interesting happens:

People start to remember you.

Not your SKU.
Not your review count.

Just you (and your brand).

When someone buys from your private store, they’re not just buying a product – they’re entering your world.

They see your colors.

They hear your tone.

They understand your beliefs.

They feel your point of view.

They “get” your reason for existing beyond “here’s a thing… please buy it.”

They hear your voice instead of Amazon’s.

They feel your presence instead of scrolling past your listing.

And the moment someone feels something?

You stop being replaceable.

Because now it’s not:

“Just get the one that’s cheaper.”

It becomes:

“I buy from them and I don’t care how much it costs.”

amazon_package

That’s the shift from transaction to relationship.

 

And relationships don’t get knocked off by some factory in Guangzhou with a 40% lower price.

 

Relationships don’t disappear because a competitor hired a fake review farm.

Relationships don’t evaporate because Amazon updated their layout.

People start buying from you because they like you and what you stand for.

That is the part Amazon can’t replicate. That becomes your moat.

That is the equity you accumulate and hold on to.

So, should you stop selling on Amazon?

No, if you’ve got a “cash cow” listing by all means keep at it…

But keep in mind that Amazon cash cows dry out, hit a growth ceiling…

Amazon is borrowed power.

A brand is yours to own.

So, if you’re an Amazon seller and you’re tired of:

Constant price wars, shrinking margins, copycats stealing your entire product line, feeling like you’re one algorithm tweak from losing your livelihood…

And being “just another listing” in a sea of scrollable sameness.

Then this is the truth you need to hear:

 

  • You don’t need more ads.
  • You don’t need better PPC.
  • You don’t need more reviews.

You need a brand.

A place where customers belong to you, not Amazon.

Start building one.

Or watch someone else own your customers tomorrow.

Not sure how to start building your brand without burning money or guessing?

I help Amazon sellers become brands people actually care about.

Not with fluff.

Not with “brand vibes.”

But with positioning, storytelling, and a proven strategy that actually converts.

If you’re done renting your customers from Amazon…

Let’s build something that’s truly yours.

by Nir Raizes