Is Amazon Right for Your Brand in 2025?
Amazon in 2025 presents new challenges and higher stakes. Rising fees, shifting shopping behaviors, and higher consumer expectations are reshaping how brands compete. Understanding whether Amazon is the right channel for your brand has never been more critical.
In a recent LinkedIn Live, we sat down with Cory Chin of Canopy Management to unpack what’s changed, what’s working, and how brands can set themselves up for success. Here’s the full Q&A recap:
Q: Cory, what’s one thing about selling on Amazon in 2025 that brands need to understand?
C: The bar is higher than ever. Amazon is rewarding brands that operate with precision—tight operations, retail readiness, and fast customer resolution all impact visibility. It’s not enough to have great creative or a big ad budget anymore—if your operations aren’t in order, you’re going to struggle to keep up.
Q: How are consumer behaviors shifting, or how has Amazon changed strategically?
C: Consumer journeys are no longer linear. People are discovering brands on TikTok, researching on Google, and ultimately converting on Amazon. PDPs aren’t just listings—they’re the final stop in a longer decision-making process. They need to be built like conversion funnels with optimized images, clear value props, strong reviews, and content that builds trust.
Q: Are there any emerging trends you’re watching closely this year?
C: Definitely. A few stand out:
1. The rise of first-party data via DSP and Amazon Marketing Cloud—brands are building smarter audience strategies.
2. Pressure on contribution margin—gross margin matters more than ever with rising fees and tariffs.
3. TikTok affiliates & external traffic—off-platform momentum is fueling on-platform success.
4. Amazon’s evolution into a brand-building channel, not just a transactional one.
Q: What types of brands or categories are thriving on Amazon right now?
C: Brands with strong margins, operational control, and a clear product-market fit. We see a lot of success in pet, beauty, consumables, and home. What matters most is how well you execute across catalog, supply chain, and advertising.
Q: What are some signs a brand might not be ready?
C: Thin margins and inconsistent supply chains are red flags. If you don’t have enough cash flow to create a meaningful runway, it’s hard to gain traction. Amazon rewards consistency, and launching half-prepared can cost you long-term rank and momentum.
Q: What’s non-negotiable for success on Amazon in 2025?
C: One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is that brands can’t rely solely on bottom-of-funnel tactics anymore. With rising CPCs on Amazon, it’s more important than ever to cultivate brand awareness and consideration off-platform—whether that’s through Meta, TikTok, influencers, or affiliate partnerships. Brands need to show up early in the shopper journey so that by the time a customer lands on Amazon, they already recognize and trust the brand. That top-of-funnel investment is now a critical part of converting efficiently and sustaining long-term growth.
Q: What performance metrics matter most today?
C: TACoS, conversion rate (CVR), and Subscribe & Save subscriptions. These metrics give a clear picture of profitability, how effectively your listings are converting, and whether you’re driving long-term customer retention—far more telling than ROAS alone.
Q: What is Amazon doing better in 2025 compared to years past?
C: Tools. We now have deeper insights with AMC, Brand Metrics, and Search Query Performance. Brands have more visibility than ever into what’s working and why—and the ones leaning into that data are scaling faster.
Q: If you could give a brand ONE piece of advice when deciding if Amazon is right for them in 2025, what would it be?
C: Treat it like a key sales channel, not a side project. The brands that commit fully—investing in content, supply chain, and media—are the ones seeing long-term success.
Watch the Full LinkedIn Live Replay
Want to catch the entire conversation with Cory Chin and dive deeper into what it takes to thrive on Amazon in 2025? Watch the full LinkedIn Live recording here.
About Cory Chin
Cory Chin launched his Amazon career in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks at Canopy Management, evolving from Ad Specialist to Brand Director. He’s led strategy and growth for brands across retail, CPG, health, and beauty, scaling businesses to over $100 million in annual sales. Cory has also played a pivotal role in shaping the e-commerce strategy for Philips North America on both Amazon and Walmart, driving growth for household names like Sonicare, Norelco, and Avent. Over his career, he’s overseen more than $1 billion in annual sales and led high-profile campaigns featuring stars like Ryan Reynolds and Jennifer Lopez, as well as collaborations like Amazon Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty.
About The Genesis Company
At The Genesis Company, we specialize in helping CPG brands scale across retail, Amazon, and DTC channels. With $4B in managed retail sales and over 100 brands at Target, we partner with brands to create tailored strategies that drive real growth. Through our work, we’ve helped feed over 1 million children, rescued over 200 girls from human trafficking, and provided counseling to more than 100 children affected by domestic abuse.
Need support navigating Amazon in 2025? Contact us here to learn more about maximizing your growth potential on Amazon.