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But with most affiliate programs, customers would be buying through the retailers directly (which is how the affiliate sales are tracked) and receiving the items from those retailers. Does Jet have its own inventory like Amazon or are they just sending orders out to a variety of different online retailers?

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I've been using jet extensively for a few months, whenever it's cheaper than amazon. A lot of the time it's cheaper than the in-store price at walmart.

They definitely have their own inventory. Things like cereal and diapers ship in completely purple jet.com boxes (http://i.imgur.com/WUisXzH.jpg). It's only more obscure stuff that ships from other retailers.

I think the idea is that they want to have a long tail of inventory and are willing to take a loss on those items for now, but for high-volume items they are already doing them in-house.

Jet doesn't own the inventory, it's simply a marketplace model (similar to Amazon FBA, or most of Alibaba's business in Asia)

Jet has a few warehouses now.

That is false.

Jet has warehouses to cover the whole U.S. With two day shipping on core items. As well as a marketplace like the other businesses you mentioned.

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