AMAZON IS A CUSTOMER ACQUISITION CHANNEL
Amazon gives you transaction. D2C gives you relationship. The margin difference is real — typically 40–55% on DTC vs. 15–25% on Amazon after fees. But the bigger long-term value is customer data: email addresses, purchase history, and the ability to remarket. This guide is for brands doing $500K+ on Amazon who want to start building a parallel DTC channel.
WHAT'S INSIDE — PREVIEW
01
Financial case: Moving 30% of Amazon revenue to DTC improves net margin by 8–12 pp.
Margin analysis · Financial model
02
Customer capture: 5 tactics to bring Amazon customers to your DTC channel.
Amazon customer capture · Package inserts
03
Shopify requirements: Minimum viable Shopify store before redirecting Amazon traffic.
Shopify setup · Migration prerequisites
04
Email from Amazon: How to build a compliant email list using Amazon tools.
Amazon email capture · Compliance
05
Pricing strategy: How to price DTC vs. Amazon without triggering parity violations.
Pricing strategy · Parity · Differential
06
DTC-exclusive benefits: What to offer DTC customers that Amazon cannot.
DTC exclusives · Subscription · Loyalty
07
Transition timeline: 12-month plan from Amazon-heavy to DTC-primary.
Migration timeline · 12 months
08
Risk management: 2 ways Amazon migration fails and how to avoid them.
Risk management · Migration pitfalls