Seller Assessment
Where are you actually dependent on Amazon?
Involved migrationWhat it is
Before you can reduce Amazon dependency as a seller, you need an honest picture of how dependent you actually are. Most sellers underestimate it — not just revenue concentration, but the invisible dependencies: customer relationships Amazon controls, data Amazon withholds, and the "Prime badge" that determines whether you're discoverable at all.
Honest assessment
Amazon has built a system where seller dependency is structural, not accidental. They deliberately prevent seller-buyer relationships: you don't get customer email addresses, you can't contact buyers off-platform, and reviews belong to Amazon, not you. This isn't a bug. It's the product. Reducing dependency means rebuilding the customer relationship Amazon has been holding hostage.
What you lose
- Prime badge (dramatically affects conversion rates for many categories)
- Amazon's built-in buyer trust and A-to-Z Guarantee
- FBA logistics network (if using it)
- Access to Amazon's buyer base (300 million+ active accounts)
- Amazon's search as a discovery channel
Migration steps
- Calculate your Amazon revenue concentration (Amazon revenue ÷ total revenue)
- Audit your customer data — do you have direct email contact for any of your customers?
- List your top 10 SKUs and check if they exist on your own website or other channels
- Check if your product category has strong alternatives (Etsy for handmade, Faire for wholesale, etc.)
- {'Set a target': 'most advisors suggest getting Amazon below 50% of revenue as a first milestone'}
- Read the Building a Direct Channel and Alternative Marketplaces guides before making any moves