Amazon has begun testing a new feature in its Shopping app that shows products from external brand websites for a subset of U.S. users on iOS and Android. The beta allows customers to view items, compare prices, check delivery options, and purchase directly from the brand’s website.
When a user selects one of these products, a notification warns that they are leaving Amazon, providing transparency before redirecting to the external site.
The move marks a notable shift in Amazon’s approach to e-commerce. While the platform is known for offering hundreds of millions of products, including over 300 million items available with fast, free Prime delivery, this pilot positions Amazon more like a product search engine rather than a traditional retailer.
Following the announcement, Amazon (AMZN) stock dipped slightly, reflecting investor caution over the experimental feature and potential implications for customer engagement and brand relationships.
Amazon’s “Buy with Prime” service, which allows Prime members to enjoy fast, free delivery and easy returns even when purchasing on a brand’s own website, could benefit from this beta. Internal reports suggest the program has lagged behind original sales targets, with enablement at only 36% of products.
By directing app searches to external sites, Amazon could guide users toward Buy with Prime-enabled items, potentially increasing adoption and improving product-market fit.
Rajiv Mehta, Amazon’s VP of search and conversational shopping, emphasized that the test is designed to improve selection and convenience for customers, signaling that the company is experimenting with new ways to capture shopper intent beyond its core inventory.
The pilot is not without controversy. Some brands have previously claimed Amazon listed their products without permission, sometimes showing inaccurate details. Amazon also has a history of disputes over data scraping, most notably in its lawsuit against AI search startup Perplexity.
Analysts warn that click-through data from external links could influence which brands Amazon decides to stock or pursue further, raising questions about transparency and competitive fairness.
While Amazon describes the feature as opt-in and customer-focused, observers say the rollout could create subtle pressure for brands to join Buy with Prime to retain visibility among Prime members.
Following the beta announcement, Amazon shares saw a slight dip, reflecting investor caution about potential backlash and the experimental nature of the feature. Market watchers note that the test aligns with broader trends in e-commerce, where platforms increasingly act as discovery engines and leverage external partnerships to drive engagement and monetization.
Amazon expands a program that lets customers shop from other retailers’ sites https://t.co/qzDVjOPwM9
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) March 11, 2026
Industry experts suggest that if Amazon can balance customer convenience with transparency for brands and users, the initiative could create a new revenue pathway, including non-endemic retail media opportunities, ads sold to brands outside Amazon’s traditional product categories. For now, the stock reaction underscores the market’s careful evaluation of how this experiment will play out in practice.
Amazon plans to expand the beta based on user and brand feedback, potentially rolling it out to a larger portion of the U.S. market. Analysts will be watching how adoption of Buy with Prime and external product clicks affect overall sales, Prime membership engagement, and investor confidence.
If executed well, this experiment could redefine Amazon’s role as both retailer and discovery engine in the evolving e-commerce landscape.
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