Amazon’s Shopping Experience Is About to Get Even Worse
Over the years, Amazon’s shopping experience has grown increasingly frustrating, with sponsored listings and paid promotions cluttering search results. Unfortunately, things are about to get even worse.
Amazon is rolling out a new feature allowing customers to “Shop brand sites directly”, meaning users may be redirected away from Amazon to external retailer websites. While Prime subscribers might receive some shipping perks or exclusive deals, this change adds yet another layer of distraction to an already convoluted shopping experience. A full breakdown of Amazon’s reasoning is available on its promotional page.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has prioritized advertising over user experience. Despite its reputation as the world’s leading online retailer, Amazon has increasingly pivoted toward tech services and ad revenue. While direct product sales still generate $55 billion, they now account for less than half of Amazon’s income. Third-party seller services bring in nearly $35 billion, web and cloud solutions generate $25 billion, and advertising alone pulls in a staggering $11.8 billion, according to Statista.
It’s hard to ignore how this latest move further muddies Amazon’s product search. Many users shop on Amazon specifically to take advantage of their Prime membership perks, credit card rewards, and streamlined purchasing experience. However, being bombarded with non-Amazon ads and external store links only makes the platform feel more like an advertising marketplace than a shopping destination.
This is yet another example of “enshittification”—a trend where services gradually degrade in quality as companies push for more profit at the expense of user experience. The addition of non-Amazon advertisements doesn’t improve the platform; it simply turns browsing into a frustrating ad-filled maze.
For now, this feature is still in beta on Amazon’s mobile apps, but it’s likely only a matter of time before it reaches desktop users as well.
