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It should come as no surprise that Amazon is used to shop by over 197 million customers per month across the world, and business is booming for the tech giant despite the coronavirus pandemic. The business reported a 26% rise in first-quarter revenue on Thursday, taking total revenues for the quarter to $75.5 billion.

But I am not one of those customers, and I will continue to avoid the online retailer during the coronavirus outbreak. 

As a millennial, I’m supposed to use the internet for all — socializing, dating, and even shopping. However, even though millions of people use Amazon for its convenience, I prefer to avoid it. This is why.

Why aren’t more people shopping on Amazon? 

The lack of an Amazon Prime account is the primary reason why non-Amazon shoppers avoid the store. 

In other words, 28% of people are trapped in a cycle in which they “don’t shop on Amazon because they don’t have a Prime account, but they don’t have a Prime account because they don’t shop on Amazon.”

These customers, on the other hand, tend to shop in-store. A quarter of them said they don’t shop on Amazon because they prefer to go to a physical store. 

Finally, a sizable percentage (23%) stated that they simply do not order from the platform. 

Non-Amazon consumers, on the other hand, like to shop online, and here’s why.

First and foremost, non-Amazon customers appreciate the security and convenience of shopping online. It was for the convenience of not having to leave the house, according to 25%, and it was for the convenience of avoiding public places by shopping at home, according to 24%. 

Shopping online also means access to more product options for 17% of people, which is where third-party vendors come in.

You’re addressing a need for this segment of customers by listing your products on one or more of Amazon’s competitors’ platforms. And this is precisely what they want.

What non-Amazon customers want!

  • Non-Amazon customers seek the lowest price. 

With 70% of non-Amazon shoppers reporting a household income of less than $50,000 per year, it’s no surprise that half of them prioritize seeking the best deal while shopping.

  • However, they want low-cost, not low-cost. 

These customers aren’t looking for just something. Almost half of the respondents (45%) said they search for a product with positive ratings and feedback. 

  • And having a lot of features is a big plus. 

Third place goes to products with the most impressive features, with 38% saying it’s essential in their buying decision.

  • More expedited shipping — yes and no 

The “reason to buy” that most shoppers disagreed with was quick delivery, with one in four claiming it wasn’t a reason to buy. Even so, 35% said that having their packages faster would make them click “Add to cart.”

Non-Amazon customers do not look for products by brand. 

Even though 37% of online shoppers searching for Amazon alternatives consider themselves brand loyal, only 12% said they still look for brand name products. 

In reality, 46% said they’ll only purchase products online if the branded alternative is cheaper or if the product requires branding (eg. 30 percent said they only buy brand name electronics).

Aside from phones, non-Amazon shoppers tend to purchase branded goods in the following categories: 

  • ‘Grocery’ – 25% said they always buy brand-name groceries. ‘Pet Supplies’ – 23% said they always buy pet supplies. 
  • ‘Clothing’ and ‘Health & Beauty’ accounted for 21% of the total. 

And these are the branded products that they will sometimes purchase:

  • ‘Clothing’ – 56% of people will buy brand-name clothing on occasion. 
  • ‘Grocery’ accounted for 54% of the total. 
  • ‘Household & Kitchen’ – 52% 
  • 50% on ‘Health & Beauty’ 
  • ‘Office Supplies’ accounted for 41% of the total. 
  • 36% each for ‘Garden & Outdoors’ and ‘Arts & Crafts.’ 
  • 30% in the category of ‘toys and games.’ 

So, what does this mean for buyers and sellers? It means you won’t have to think about competing with well-known brands as much.

If you’ve built a premium brand and already have a following on Amazon, you’ll be a step or two ahead of the competition when you launch on one of Amazon’s e-commerce alternatives.

Conclusion 

Although Amazon makes shopping on its platform extremely convenient, resisting the temptation to partake in one-click shopping and instead of shopping directly with a local green business would give you the satisfaction of knowing you are helping the local community and meeting business owners and employees who share your values.

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