Amazon has introduced the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace, a “free” portal that allows eligible merchants to connect their online stores with Amazon and Alexa for Shopping services.
The self-service portal enables merchants to register for Shop Direct, submit product feeds, manage their participation, and see which products are available to Amazon customers.
Merchants can reuse product catalogues developed for other shopping services.
They can also connect through third-party providers, including Feedonomics, Salsify, CEDCommerce, and VersaFeed.
Products submitted through Shop Direct may feature in relevant search results on Amazon’s website and app, as well as in Alexa for Shopping results.
When customers select the “Shop Direct” option, Amazon notifies them that they are leaving its platform before directing them to the merchant’s website.
Customers can review product information and complete purchases on the merchant’s site.
For eligible products, customers may also be able to use Amazon’s “Buy for Me” feature.
The tool enables customers to confirm delivery address, taxes, shipping charges, and payment method on Amazon before Amazon’s AI completes the purchase on the merchant’s website.
Merchants retain responsibility for inventory, pricing, order fulfilment, and customer service.
They decide which products to submit, can join without fees, and may leave the programme at any time.
Existing Amazon sellers may also qualify to use Shop Direct for products that they do not currently list in Amazon’s own store.
Amazon Core Shopping vice-president Amanda Doerr said: “Shop Direct makes it simple for merchants to have their selection discovered by Amazon customers.
"We created the Merchant Workspace to make it fast and easy for merchants to be part of this growing experience using the catalogues they have already built for other shopping destinations.”
Last month, Amazon unveiled its plans to recruit more than 300,000 seasonal, part-time, and full-time personnel across its US core operations network for this holiday season.
