Amazon is piloting a new feature that redirects shoppers to brands' own websites when products are unavailable in Amazon's inventory, marking a shift in the e-commerce giant's approach to customer experience.
The experimental feature, currently being tested with select US customers on both iOS and Android Amazon Shopping apps, aims to help shoppers find desired products even when they're not available through Amazon's platform.
"We'll show select products in our search results even if we don't sell them in our store, and link to the brand's website to make it easy for customers to purchase them there," Amazon stated in its recent blog announcement.
While Amazon maintains an extensive inventory of over 300 million items available for Prime delivery, this new initiative suggests the company is willing to sacrifice some direct sales to enhance overall customer satisfaction.
Rajiv Mehta, Amazon's VP of search and conversational shopping, explained that the move is part of ongoing efforts to expand product selection and improve the shopping experience.
Brands participating in Amazon's 'Buy with Prime' program will maintain their benefits, including 24/7 customer support and rapid delivery options, even when customers are redirected to their websites.
The company plans to evaluate customer feedback before expanding the feature to more US customers and including additional brands. The timeline for a broader rollout remains unspecified.
This strategic shift represents a notable change in Amazon's traditional approach, potentially benefiting both customers seeking specific products and brands looking to maintain direct relationships with their customers.