What Is “Amazon Basics”? (Great For Customers, Bad For Sellers)

Amazon has rapidly grown to be one of the world’s biggest e-commerce retailers, giving shoppers the chance to order all their favorite household products with the touch of a button.

While browsing on Amazon, you’ve probably stumbled across “Amazon Basics” products. But what exactly are they and does Amazon actually make them? Here is what I discovered!

What Is Amazon Basics?

Amazon Basics is Amazon’s low-budget private-label brand for kitchen, tech, and household products. Instead of making these products, Amazon purchases them from manufacturers and puts the Amazon Basics label on them. Amazon also analyzes the top-selling products on its website to determine what products to create. 

If you are curious about Amazon Basics and the background behind these products, then keep reading and learn all you need to know about this brand.

Why Does Amazon Have Amazon Basics?

For over a decade, Amazon Basics has served as the e-commerce retailer’s private-label range of household items and popular family products.

Similar to how Target and Walmart have their own store brand products, Amazon does the same with Amazon Basics.

It started with batteries, cables, and electronics, which are relatively inexpensive and in-demand, and are profitable because most consumers need these items and don’t have a preference for what brand it is.

What Does Amazon Basics Include?

Since the early days, Amazon Basics has expanded to cover an extensive selection of most everyday items you could need in your home or office.

The collection includes highly-rated home improvement tools, pet care products, kitchen tools, fitness equipment, computer cables, bedding, tech accessories, suitcases, and more.

There are thousands of products with new ones added regularly based on what’s hot at the moment.

The idea behind Amazon basics is that consumers can purchase products they need for work or home at a reasonable price.

These items may be ordered again and again and replaced over time, as they are essentials for millions of people.

Additionally, these products are selected because consumers want quality and reliability over a fancy name brand and an expensive price tag.

Is Amazon Basics Popular?

Is Amazon Basics Popular?

Amazon Basics is a prime example of the increasing popularity and success of private labels, with sales growing at three times the rate of third-party branded products.

Amazon can turn a big profit by purchasing products from an outside manufacturer and selling them to public consumers using the widely-known Amazon name.

Many of the top 100 bestselling products across Amazon feature in the Amazon Basics collection too.

Additionally, Amazon Basics had 660 bestsellers in April 2018 and more than doubled that to surpass 1,200 the following year.

High-speed HDMI cables, microfiber sheets, and rechargeable batteries are some of the bestselling items you can find on Amazon Basics.

What Is The Difference Between Amazon Basics and Amazon Sellers?

Amazon Basics is Amazon’s private label brand, where household products are purchased in bulk and sold under the Amazon name brand.

Amazon Basics directly competes with Amazon Sellers, which are third-party retailers who use the platform to sell their products.

Individuals and businesses can sell their inventory across Amazon, but they are having to increasingly compete with the retail giant’s basic collection.

Sellers with huge success on Amazon can reap the profits and benefits, but also need to pay attention for Amazon to add these products to the Basics collection.

If you search for a certain product on Amazon and there’s an option that’s part of Amazon Basics, it will appear at the top of the results page, followed by third-party sellers.

How Does Amazon Decide What Products Should Go In Amazon Basics?

How Does Amazon Decide What Products Should Go In Amazon Basics?

Amazon has the advantage of detailed customer data to guide decisions on what products belong in Amazon Basics.

If you’ve ever shopped on Amazon and noticed the personal recommendations and ads, then you know that the website collects your personal information and purchase data.

Shopper details and analytics reveal what products are most searched for, clicked on, and purchased.

Once this data is collected, this allows Amazon to incorporate new products quickly at a relatively low cost.

Understandably, this has made many Amazon sellers furious, as Amazon has the power and the data to see what products sell, then make their own.

As a result, many popular Amazon stores have been hurt by the introduction of Amazon Basics, and see even stated that this is anti-competitive behavior on Amazon’s part.

Additionally, Amazon can also monitor for product lines that don’t do so well, meaning they can unlist unpopular items and make way for new products with greater demand.

As the owner and collector of all this data, Amazon has greater insights into what shoppers want and don’t want, giving them the edge over third-party sellers.

Should You Shop Amazon Basics?

Most consumers find Amazon Basics to be a good value for the money. It’s a personal decision of course, but you can find a lot of things you need for home or work all in one place.

If you want products with proven quality that won’t break the bank, then Amazon Basics is a worthwhile choice, considering the retailer removes underperforming products quickly.

Also, you’re less likely to experience a bad product or poor quality because it would directly affect Amazon’s reputation, rather than a third-party seller.

Additionally, products on Amazon Basics are curated and approved by Amazon, so it’s usually safe to buy from this platform.

Delivery and returns with Amazon Basics are simple, thanks to Amazon’s Global Store Return Policy.

To learn more about how you can get the most while shopping on Amazon, you can see our other guides on the Amazon Smart Plug, Amazon Lightning Deals, the Amazon baby registry welcome box, and what sponsored means on Amazon.

Conclusion

Amazon Basics is the online retail giant’s private label brand, which includes popular household goods such as home improvement tools, electronic cables, pet supplies, batteries, kitchenware, and office supplies.

Amazon doesn’t actually make these products, but instead buys them in bulk and sells them with Amazon labels and packaging.

Amazon Basics are seen as trusted, brand-name products at competitive prices. New products are added regularly based on the most popular customer searches and trending items.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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