Amazon’s New Shopping Change Makes Finding Products Even Harder
Amazon’s product search has become increasingly frustrating, flooded with sponsored listings and paid ads that often push relevant results further down the page. But now, Amazon is introducing an even bigger disruption—and it’s not good news for shoppers.
The company is currently testing a new feature that allows customers to “Shop brand sites directly,” which means users could be redirected to external retailer websites instead of purchasing on Amazon. Prime members may receive special perks or faster shipping, but this move adds another layer of inconvenience for those who prefer Amazon’s one-stop shopping experience. A full post on Amazon’s promotional page dives into the details.
Amazon has never been shy about prioritizing advertising revenue, but this change takes things even further. While Amazon is widely known as an online retailer, its core business has diversified heavily into services and advertising. According to Statista, direct retail sales account for $55 billion, but third-party seller services now generate $35 billion, Amazon Web Services brings in $25 billion, and advertising revenue alone contributes $11.8 billion.
For customers, this shift means Amazon is actively diluting its search experience by promoting external retailers—something that defeats the entire purpose of shopping on Amazon in the first place. Many users subscribe to Amazon Prime to access benefits like fast shipping, credit card rewards, and exclusive deals, yet they are now being pushed toward third-party sites instead of being able to conveniently shop within Amazon’s ecosystem.
This is a textbook example of “enshittification”—where a once-useful platform slowly degrades in quality as it prioritizes profit maximization over user experience. Seeing external store ads on Amazon is just another intrusive distraction, further complicating an already ad-heavy search system.
Currently, this feature is in beta for Amazon’s mobile apps, but it will likely roll out to desktop users soon. Unfortunately, this means shopping on Amazon may become even more frustrating in the near future.