Amazon expert: The five big myths about selling on Amazon

Max Lester (above right), co-founder of Partners in Prime, writes: Amazon continues to divide opinion across the fishing industry. For some brands and distributors, it represents opportunity, for others, uncertainty and risk.

Much of this comes down to a handful of persistent myths. Below, we address the top five most common concerns we hear from fishing brands, retailers and distributors, and explain how Amazon works in practice when approached in a structured way.

1. Amazon will negatively affect our distributor network

Reality
Amazon already influences purchase decisions in the fishing category, regardless of whether brands actively trade there. Anglers routinely check Amazon for pricing, availability and reviews, even when the final purchase happens through a local shop or preferred retailer. Problems usually arise when Amazon is left unmanaged, allowing multiple resellers to dictate your pricing, listings and brand presentation without your control.

Takeaway
Active management benefits the wider network. A structured approach using Brand Registry, authorised seller programmes, channel-specific SKUs or bundles, pricing governance and consistent brand content helps align Amazon with existing distributor and retail channels, rather than allowing it to operate independently of them.

2. We’ll lose control of pricing and brand presentation

Reality
Loss of control usually occurs when resellers own the product listings and manage content independently. In these situations, pricing becomes inconsistent, imagery varies by seller and product information often drifts away from brand standards. This is typically a catalogue ownership issue rather than a platform issue.

Takeaway
Brand Registry enables brands to own and manage their catalogue directly. This allows pricing governance, consistent imagery and messaging, enhanced content such as A+ pages, and clearer enforcement against unauthorised sellers. With the right structure in place, brands often gain more control than in fragmented wholesale environments.

3. Amazon is too time-consuming and operationally painful

Reality
Amazon is often seen as operationally difficult because many brands experience it reactively. Without proper foundations, issues around listings, availability, compliance and advertising can feel constant and unpredictable. In most cases, this friction comes from weak set-up rather than the platform itself.

Takeaway
A focused 2–3 month set-up phase typically resolves the majority of structural issues, including catalogue organisation, content, fulfilment and reporting. Once established, Amazon tends to settle into a predictable monthly cadence centred on forecasting, performance review and controlled growth rather than daily firefighting.

4. You need massive ad spend and profits disappear

Reality
High advertising spend is often the result of poor structure or weak conversion rather than a requirement of Amazon. When listings lack clarity or confidence, advertising is used to compensate, leading to inefficient spend and margin pressure.

Takeaway
A profit-first approach to Amazon advertising focuses on supporting products that are already set up to convert. Targeted keyword coverage, disciplined budgets and ongoing conversion optimisation allow advertising to act as a growth lever rather than a drain on profitability.

5. Amazon data isn’t useful to the wider business

Reality
Amazon generates a large volume of real-world customer insight that extends beyond the platform itself. Search behaviour shows what anglers are actively looking for, reviews highlight recurring product strengths and weaknesses, and sales patterns reveal how price, pack size and positioning influence demand.

Takeaway
When used correctly, Amazon data can inform wider commercial decisions. Search trends can support product development, reviews can guide product improvements, and performance data can feed into retail sell-in and range planning. In this context, Amazon becomes a source of market insight rather than just a sales channel.

• These observations are drawn from Partners In Prime’s work whilst supporting fishing brands across Amazon UK, US and Europe. Partners In Prime is an Amazon-focused e-commerce agency specialising in helping fishing brands take a structured, controlled approach to Amazon. To learn more, or to request a free audit of your brand’s Amazon potential, contact Kyle Waterhouse at kyle@amzpip.com, visit www.amzpip.com or call +44 7854 952275.