> Are you doing FBA for that shoe?
We would have to raise prices to use FBA for that shoe and Amazon doesn't allow us to sell a different price on Amazon than we do elsewhere.
We would have to raise prices to use FBA for that shoe and Amazon doesn't allow us to sell a different price on Amazon than we do elsewhere.
Also, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to set different prices on different marketplaces. Your Amazon offer must be the lowest though right?
The discussion was about comparison shopping. They can buy from our site or Amazon. We don't care.
So for purposes of the original comment it was irrelevant and it still isn't relevant really.
The original bit of the chain was this:
> One fascinating niche are online retailers which fill market voids Amazon deliberately creates out of corporate policy. For instance in the US one can readily purchase firearms and ammunition through the internet. Due to various legal formalities, Amazon won't touch that particular market segment. Visiting sites like www.sgammo.com, www.palmettostatearmory.com, or www.midwayusa.com, is like stepping into an uncanny PHP laden alternate reality where Amazon never existed. This federation of specialized retailers offers a glimpse into what the online shopping experience _could_ have become, if it weren't for Amazon's hegemony.
I was arguing that was absurd and is unique to that niche. Also, Amazon isn't benevolent.
I didn't argue that I cared about the mechanics of how Amazon screwed its customers.
> Also, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to set different prices on different marketplaces. Your Amazon offer must be the lowest though right?
Correct. And charging customers via FBA $62.25 is untenable for Amazon as well as us which is why they charge noticeably more.
We _could_ charge their customers $65 and ours $65 but:
1) Amazon will find compliance issues with our identical products.
1b) If we comply, Amazon will drop prices until we stop competing with them and/or use their size to pressure a manufacturer into obedience (a la Walmart).
2) We will be cannibalizing our own sales channel to drive more people to Amazon by lowering Amazon's price to the customer $4. This is objectively a terrible decision.
So why bother?
FBA is a _terrible_ idea if you are in competition with Amazon on any level. The sales they'll send you aren't worth selling MFN at a better price point.
Is this just for FBA items or for any items you sell on Amazon? I've definitely seen products selling for less on other websites than on Amazon.
All I know is if we do that, we get de-listed and a warning.