On the low-end, I actually don't get how sellers stay in business with Amazon fees, but for the most part, my go-to is increasingly direct (Aliexpress, eBay, or similar).
I'm down to about two Amazon orders per month. That's down from several orders a week a half-decade ago. It's also a bit of an increasing death spiral, since I gave up Prime and Amazon is now just annoying without Prime.
I do feel there is room for a vendor to take Amazon's place. The next one should have:
- 100% direct supply chains. No knockoffs. If I order Sandisk, it either comes form Sandisk, or from Sandisk direct to the vendor.
- 2019-era Amazon customer service
- Fair prices. Fair doesn't mean beating Amazon and Walmart (customer service costs something), but that I never get hit with a 10x markup. I should be able to trust I'm not being cheated without shopping around.
- Honest reviews
- Ideally, over time, shoppers, vendor-recommended products, and expert reviews. Trader Joes and Apple to well by virtue of fewer, better SKUs. Buying dpreview could have been a great fit for Amazon, but as is, building out something like the old Wirecutter, Consumer Reports, etc.
- I can even see more social models, like forums with company reps, experts, etc. where I can ask a question before I buy.
The logistics here are a multi-billion-dollar play, but might be possible either leveraging local stores or in partnership with a Fedex or UPS.