One Buyer Values a Store Split Between Amazon and Its Own Site Above an All-Amazon Store
A listing that goes dark for a day can erase tens of thousands of dollars in sales.
David C Barnett Small Business and Deal Making M&A SMB · PREMIERE The Future of Ecommerce: What You Need to Know for 2026 with Jaryd KrauseIn the view of Jaryd Krause, a former plumber who now buys and advises on online businesses, a store that makes half its sales on Amazon and half on its own website is worth more than one that sells only on Amazon.
Krause treats dependence on Amazon as what he calls systemic risk, because Amazon owns your business and can take a listing offline.
He recalled a client whose Amazon listing went offline for about 24 hours, losing roughly $25,000 to $50,000 in sales, by his recollection. A store with its own site, built with software like Shopify, still has somewhere to sell when that happens.
Krause values a store that sells on both Amazon and its own site more highly, because that spreads the risk.
Questions people ask
Why would Amazon take a listing down?
This detail is general context, not from the interview. Listings are commonly removed for suspected rule violations, complaints, inventory issues, or errors. Sellers usually must appeal and show the problem is fixed before sales resume.
What does it mean to sell on Shopify?
Shopify is software that lets a business run its own online store and checkout, rather than selling inside Amazon's marketplace. The seller controls the site, keeps the customer email addresses, and can market to past buyers for free.
How much less is an all-Amazon business worth?
This detail is general context, not from the interview. There is no fixed discount, since buyers weigh age, profit, growth, and risk. A diversified store can command a higher multiple of profit because the income is less likely to stop suddenly if one platform changes its rules.