The Guardian
trending topics
Close Box

Our news

Yes, it’s true: We are joining GigaOM...


Analyst: Amazon Third-Party Sales Driving Growth: How Long Will It Continue?

  • Comments Comments (View)
  • Text Size: A A

imageAmazon’s third-party fulfillment business, in which big retailers like Gap or Eddie Bauer sell their goods on Amazon and use the site to warehouse and ship their products in return for a cut of the sale, has been growing briskly. The company doesn’t break out those revenues, but in its first-quarter results, Amazon said items shipped for sellers who used its third-party fulfillment services were up 300% from the prior year.

SEE ALSO: Analyst: Google E-Books Push Will Force Amazon To Drop Prices

Many observers think success in this area is key to Amazon’s ability to stay dominant in the e-commerce space. So how much more growth can Amazon extract? Plenty, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Stephen Ju. Ju pored over Amazon’s listings and contacted vendors, and says Amazon’s third-party numbers for the second quarter, which Amazon hasn’t released yet, will represent impressive growth, with international showing the most strength.

—U.S. third-party listings grew 5 percent to 10 percent in the second quarter 2009.
—U.K. third-party listings grew about 60 percent during the quarter, while Germany, Japan and France grew in the triple digits.
—Increased selection is also boosting Amazon results. The company added office supply items internationally and expanded its jewelry selection in Japan.

eBay (NSDQ: EBAY) remains well ahead of Amazon in selling goods for third parties—Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster estimates it sells 10 times as many third-party goods as Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN). But Amazon’s momentum in this area could put pressure on eBay, which has had some trouble retaining sellers recently.

Jun 8, 2009 9:14 AM ET

Posted In: E-Commerce, Media & Publishing, Books, Companies, Amazon

(Page 1 of 1)


The Bestsellers

From iTunes and YouTube to Facebook and Kindle, the most popular content on the web, free and paid.

VOD Movies (RENTRAK) VOD Movies (RENTRAK)
1. Real Steel
2. 50/50
3. Moneyball
4. Paranormal Activity 3
5. The Ides of March
See The Other Bestsellers »

Jobs RSS Job Listings

Social Standing

Which media brands are getting a lift from Tweeters and bloggers right now -- and which are getting panned?

"Sentiment" Scores for All the Companies »

Sponsors

Staff