Amazon is reshaping its marketplace to favor big brands over the independent merchants that long defined it, according to The Information, through a program called Brand Elevation that gives brand-submitted data priority over third-party sellers in how products are described. Amazon also stopped sellers, including wholesalers, from creating new catalog listings for branded items unless the brand has authorized them through its Brand Registry, a change effective June 1. The shift comes as Amazon’s retail growth slows and it courts brands like Nike and Estée Lauder to sell directly, even though independent sellers still drive about 60% of its retail sales. Many targeted listings are from resellers flipping brands like Olay or Adidas without authorization, and the crackdown could push those merchants toward rivals like Temu and TikTok Shop.
