I'm confused how there isn't a huge opportunity for an online dept store with 100% vetted goods here. Does such a thing exist? If not why not? If so how can one find it? What keywords point to it? They win if they can get that keyword into the minds of the general public.
Walmart. I've been Amazon Prime for years, but whenever I need to buy something with a high risk of being counterfeit (printer ink is the most common one for me), I use Walmart - and it's free shipping from them anyway. Really the only difference is that Amazon usually gets it to my door faster.
I don't know the details, but Walmart is also moving towards more of being an online marketplace: https://marketplace.walmart.com/
Is the inventory commingled, are the sellers better vetted, is it obvious that you are buying from a 3rd party and not Walmart, all that I don't know. Just pointing this out.
Target.com is okay for now, but supposedly they are going to start going that way also. These days, I look to purchase on the official brand’s website first, or whichever seller they link to on the brand’s website.
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Are you serious. How about any store that isn't Amazon or doesn't sell second-hand goods. Only Amazon does this. If you go to Nike.com, are you going to be worried about your shoes being counterfeit?
Actually yes. Running a secure storefront is hard, as is supply chain logistics. The easy way out is to have amazon host your storefront - you design the theme and put the products there, but the security, payment and shipping are all Amazon.
I regularly buy from a small website that isn't run by Amazon - some months after every order I get a different credit card in the mail because someone hacked the small website. They really need to give up on running their own secure payment processor and hire someone bigger. (I order from them because for the obscure parts my car needs they have the right one in stock and know which are right)
Shipping. The US is huge and many parts are sparsely populated. You can free deliver in 12 hours in New York and make a profit. But you can't do that in North Dakota.
Amazon has the infrastructure to deliver anywhere in the US in a reasonable time and their size allows them to offset that guy in the Oregon woods ordering a pair of socks with a Manhattanite hipster ordering a $1500 coffeemaker.
