It’s easy to think of ecommerce and brick and mortar retail as fundamentally different, but they’re more interconnected than ever.
The Covid-19 pandemic created an unprecedented spike in digital purchases, and loosening restrictions have created a renewed interest in in-person shopping. Today’s consumers are increasingly interested in a seamless retail experience that allows them to move easily between handling merchandise in the aisles, reading product reviews online, and browsing websites for site-to-store shipping.
If you’re interested in growing your business in both the physical and digital worlds, you probably already know that Amazon is the ecommerce king. Fortunately, success on one platform doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other. The work that you do to improve your products’ rankings in the Amazon Marketplace can help you stake a winning claim on your merchant’s shelves.
Use Amazon to test brick and mortar messaging strategies.
One of the greatest advantages of Amazon marketing is the freedom you have to review your key metrics and adjust your approach responsively. Changing your product images, keywords and highlighted features is simple on Amazon, and you can begin monitoring your results almost immediately. You’ll also be able to keep a closer eye on competitors and assess how they respond to your tactics. A sudden uptick in advertising from rival brands is a sure sign that you are gaining traction in your category.
Capitalize on the platform’s agility to uncover your optimal messaging, pricing and advertising strategy before you invest in your presence at big box retail, and you’ll avoid many costly mistakes down the road.
Use Amazon for proof of concept at brick and mortar retail.
A critical part of any merchant meeting is convincing your retailer to take a chance on your brand. When you start your retail journey on Amazon, you can walk in with data that demonstrates your ability to navigate your product category, sell through your inventory and pursue continued growth.
Your track record on Amazon can assure your merchant that your business is a safe bet with an existing audience of loyal consumers.
It’s important, however, to make it clear to your merchant that you’re an Amazon seller, not a vendor. Amazon vendors are beholden to the ecommerce giant’s determinations about product pricing, and many retailers don’t want to compete with Amazon over identical SKUs. Go the seller route, and you can remain in control of your MAP (minimum advertised price) while still using Amazon’s platform to reach consumers.
Use Amazon to work out supply chain issues.
Before you commit to stocking 1,200 big box locations, it’s a good idea to test your supply chain on Amazon. This more demand-based ramp up can help you identify and address any potential kinks before they turn into costly violations of your merchant’s fulfillment agreement.
Better still, the income that you generate selling on Amazon can be a huge help as you scale production and make the kind of advertising investments that big box retailers tend to look for. When done correctly, your Marketplace presence can help you pace your growth to ensure that it’s steady and sustainable.
Use Amazon to get a head start on other ecommerce platforms.
The work that you do to set up your Amazon store has a great deal of value beyond the Marketplace. The content, images, ad copy and FAQs you create can also help you establish a presence elsewhere.
With 59% of consumers reporting that they’ve visited a store to view a product before ultimately purchasing it online, it’s no surprise that most major retailers have invested heavily in developing their digital presence. Shoppers are looking for consistency in quality, packaging and price between retail websites and brick and mortar stores.
Show your merchant that you’re prepared to be part of the solution as they grow in both spaces. Use what you learn on Amazon to create a seamless user experience between their physical stores and ecommerce platform, and you’ll have a built-in advantage at launch.