Shopify and Amazon – double chance for success

Written on May 23, 2025. Posted in Amazon DTC.

Some brands use only one channel for selling. Is that wrong?

Not entirely, but if you have all eggs in one basket, is it really safe? What if that channel just stops working for you?

Yes, you need more time, budget and focus for selling through multiple channels, but that also means you’ll get more out of it. Amazon is a huge system and it brings you a lot, but it has its cons. If you combine Shopify and Amazon, it could be one of the smartest decisions you make and make a real difference.

Why not one channel or the other?

One of the most common questions sellers ask is:

“Should I be on Shopify or Amazon?” And while it sounds like a smart, focused question… it actually misses the bigger picture.

Because Shopify and Amazon aren’t rivals. They’re built for different things, and when you use both the right way, they can complement each other perfectly.

Amazon is incredible at one thing: reach. You get access to a marketplace filled with millions of ready-to-buy customers. Shoppers trust it. The logistics are rock solid. And if your product has demand, it can start selling fast.

But here’s the tradeoff: it’s not your traffic. You don’t know who’s buying from you.

You don’t get the customer’s email. You don’t control the checkout experience. You don’t set the rules, Amazon does. And if something changes (and it often does), your business can feel that impact overnight.

Your Shopify store is yours. Fully customizable. You own the customer relationship. You decide how the brand looks, what messaging you use, how you package your offers, and what happens after the sale. You can run loyalty programs, grow an email list, and build something that lasts beyond one sale. That’s worth a lot more than just one sale.

Yes, Shopify doesn’t bring the traffic, you have to earn it. Through content, ads, SEO, partnerships… And yes, it takes work and time. But, with the right approach and strategy, that won’t be such a huge issue.

What Amazon does best

If your goal is to get your product in front of as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, there’s really nothing else like Amazon, one of the biggest product search engines in the world. Millions of shoppers are already there, actively searching, comparing, and buying. You don’t need to build demand because it’s already built in if the product’s right.

And if you use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), you get fast shipping, warehousing, and customer support handled for you. The Prime badge alone boosts trust and conversions. For a lot of sellers, that’s what gets the sales rolling.

It’s also relatively simple to launch, although you have to go through many details and get a green light for selling. No need to design a website, figure out checkout flows, or integrate dozens of tools. You focus on getting your listing right, managing stock, and optimizing for visibility.

But all that convenience comes with limitations.

Fees add up fast. Between referral fees, FBA costs, and ad spend, margins can get squeezed, especially in competitive categories. And while Amazon handles fulfillment, they also own the customer. You don’t get email addresses. You don’t control follow-up messaging. You don’t get to build much of a relationship.

There’s also always the risk of being undercut, either by another seller or by Amazon itself. And when the playing field is that crowded, it’s hard to stand out, especially if your brand relies on more than just price and product. Amazon is excellent for reach and volume. But it’s not built for brand building.

If you treat it as your only strategy, you’re renting space in someone else’s house. Use it well, but don’t stop there.

Shopify is a great choice

With your own store, you decide what your webshop looks like, how the brand feels, and what kind of experience your customers get from the moment they land on your homepage to the post-purchase email.

You’re in full control. You own the data. You collect the emails. You decide what happens after the sale. And that opens up opportunities Amazon simply doesn’t give you. But with Shopify, you can get this and more easily. Check why it’s one of the most used ecommerce platforms.

You can test offers and bundles more often, launch new products without approval, set your own margins, and build actual customer relationships that go beyond a single transaction. Shopify acts as the engine behind everything you do to grow your brand. See more about Shopify features here.

But the one thing that might feel harder to do is that the traffic isn’t built in. You need to work for attention through ads, content, influencers, email, SEO… all of it.

Need help to set up a working marketing strategy? Book a free consultation here.

How Shopify and Amazon work together

Shopify and Amazon are often seen as separate paths, but for many ecommerce businesses, they function best when used in parallel. What makes this possible is how well the two platforms can be connected.

Through Shopify’s native Amazon integration, it’s possible to manage listings, inventory, and orders across both platforms without having to maintain separate systems. When the setup is done properly, everything is in sync, and operations won’t be stuck toggling between platforms or risking errors through manual updates.

Take a look at our 30-min free course for Amazon sellers going DTC.

Of course, that kind of integration isn’t something to rush. For companies with a more complex catalog, different fulfillment flows, or region-specific settings, the implementation requires care. That’s why many brands bring in an experienced development team to make sure the connection is solid. The goal is to build a system that holds up when sales increase, product lines expand, or new teams get involved. Feel free to book a free consultation about going from Amazon to Shopify and the sync between.

Beyond the operational efficiency, the real benefit of combining Shopify and Amazon is the range of opportunities it creates.

By having a presence on both platforms, you’re creating multiple entry points into your business. Some customers will find you on Amazon and appreciate the speed and convenience, others will discover your brand through search engines, ads or social media and connect with the story, design, or values behind it.

Over time, this dual presence strengthens your positioning. You’re no longer just a product among many: you’re building recognition, trust, and loyalty across different types of buyers and buying habits.

It also gives you more control over how and where you grow. You can test pricing strategies, launch new collections, or run exclusive campaigns on your own terms, all while maintaining consistent sales through Amazon. When managed well, this approach not only increases your revenue potential but also adds real value to your brand as a whole.

This is what makes Shopify and Amazon work well together. Not just because they reach different types of buyers, but because, when integrated correctly, they allow your operations to stay stable as you grow.

Build a brand, not just a product

Amazon gives you reach. You get fast exposure, built-in trust, and the infrastructure to scale quickly. It’s an ideal channel for selling products at volume. Shopify gives you control. You shape the brand, know who buys, and build a business that’s not that dependent.

Together, Shopify and Amazon cover both sides of what a modern ecommerce brand needs: visibility and ownership. And the best time to have both is now.

More sellers are entering the Amazon space than ever before. Competition is rising, fees are climbing, and brands that rely on a single channel are increasingly at risk. At the same time, the tools for running your own store, especially on Shopify, have never been more accessible. You don’t need to choose between them. In fact, choosing only one could limit your growth.

If you’re already selling on Amazon, now is the time to set up your own direct channel.

👉 Need help connecting Shopify and Amazon for your business? That’s what we do. Get in touch!