A few years ago, selling exclusively on Amazon made sense. Today? Not so much.
- Marketplace fees continue to rise.Β
- Competition is tougher.Β
- Advertising costs aren’t slowing down.Β
- And most importantly, Amazon still owns the customer relationship.
Many brands have realized that depending on a single marketplace creates unnecessary risk.
One policy update, account suspension, or an inventory issue, and sales can stop overnight.
That’s why selling on Amazon vs Shopify is no longer viewed as an either-or decision.
It’s becoming a “both” strategy.
Amazon still generates discovery and high-intent traffic. Shopify creates direct customer relationships, stronger branding, and better long-term profitability.
The smartest ecommerce businesses aren’t replacing Amazon. They’re building an ecosystem around it.
Expert Observation
One misconception I still hear is:
“Expanding to Shopify means abandoning Amazon.”
Actually, the opposite is happening.
The fastest-growing ecommerce brands continue using Amazon for customer acquisition while leveraging Shopify for repeat purchases, subscriptions, bundled offers, loyalty programs, and higher-margin sales. That’s a much more resilient business model.