Ecommerce Dominance Continues as Half of Shoppers Now Begin Product Searches on Amazon
Amazon is quickly becoming the starting—and often end—destination for shoppers in North America, posing a threat to brick-and-mortar retailers but also displaying dominance over its digital competitors.
55% of US online consumers begin their product searches on Amazon, according to a new survey from Internet marketing firm BloomReach, up from 44% just one year ago. Search engines dropped from 34% to 28%. Specific retailers dropped to 16% from 21%.
This is not a race anyone wants to lose: according to eMarketer, ecommerce sales are expected to increase 13 percent to $385 billion this year.
John Blackledge, an analyst at Cowen & Co. Blackledge, estimates that Amazon has 50 million Prime members. Moreover, the rate of member growth shows no signs of slowing—it may even be accelerating.
