Development Trends of Independent E-commerce Websites
2025-12-30 01:35:00
As the global leader in the e-commerce industry, Amazon is redefining the boundaries of what a “platform” means. Recently, Amazon announced that it is testing a new service in the U.S. market called “Buy for Me,” which uses AI agents to help users place orders from other online channels. In other words, even if a product is not listed on Amazon, consumers can still complete the purchase process within the Amazon app.
From a functional perspective, this service has been integrated directly into the Amazon app. When users search for certain products or brands, the system may display a result labeled “Shop brand sites directly.” After clicking, users can view product details within the Amazon interface and place an order via the “Buy for Me” button. Subsequent purchasing actions, including visiting the brand’s official website and submitting the order, are carried out by Amazon’s AI agent on behalf of the user. Amazon emphasizes that user information is encrypted throughout the process, and that Amazon itself cannot access users’ historical orders or other data on third-party websites.
This move sends a very clear signal: Amazon is no longer content with being merely a marketplace. Instead, it aims to become the entry point of the entire e-commerce consumption journey. Even if the final transaction takes place on a brand’s own website, the user’s search behavior, decision-making process, and payment mindset remain within Amazon’s ecosystem.
From another perspective, this development highlights the growing importance of independent e-commerce websites. More and more brands are no longer relying solely on marketplace distribution, but are choosing to build their own sites to retain users and gain control over data and pricing. Amazon’s launch of “Buy for Me” is, in essence, a response to this trend—the presence and influence of brand-owned websites have become too significant to ignore.
For independent store owners, this shift carries dual implications. On one hand, brand-owned websites are becoming core infrastructure within the global e-commerce ecosystem, capable of being connected to major traffic gateways even without direct platform listings. On the other hand, the true competitive focus is shifting away from whether a brand is listed on a platform, and toward whether it has the ability to independently handle transactions and manage customer relationships.
Looking ahead, the future e-commerce landscape will no longer be defined by a simple opposition between platforms and independent sites. Instead, it will evolve into a coexisting model where platforms serve as traffic entry points and independent sites function as brand hubs. Under this trend, whether a brand owns a stable, professional, and sustainably operated independent e-commerce website will directly determine its long-term competitive ceiling.