Amazon concentrates over 60% of German e-commerce revenue. That sounds crushing. But there's an important number on the other side: almost 40% of the market doesn't run through Amazon. And there are structural weaknesses in the platform model that no algorithm can solve.
What you can't win against Amazon
Price competition. Amazon has lower purchasing conditions, more efficient logistics, and an algorithm that knows exactly which price converts. Anyone trying to beat Amazon on price loses — not immediately, but inevitably.
Reach. Amazon has over 30 million active buyers in Germany. No specialist dealer builds this reach organically.
Convenience on standard products. Someone who needs a USB cable buys it on Amazon. That fight isn't worth taking.
What Amazon structurally cannot do
Expert advice with commitment. Amazon reviews don't replace real product consultation from someone who knows the product, understands the application, and is personally accountable. For products that need explanation, installation, or configuration — power tools, measuring equipment, audio gear, industrial supplies — expert advice is a real differentiator.
Manufacturer relationships. Specialist dealers have something Amazon sellers never have: a direct relationship with the manufacturer. Authorised dealers get different terms, different product availability, different service capabilities. And — critically for the future — they can become part of a model where the manufacturer routes their website traffic directly to them.
Local presence. Click & collect, same-day local delivery, in-person returns handling. Amazon delivers nationwide in two days. You deliver locally today — or tomorrow morning.
The underestimated asymmetry
Amazon is a marketplace. Amazon has no relationship with the brands that sell on it — it's a platform. When a manufacturer wants to route their website traffic to their authorised specialist dealers, Amazon cannot do that. Amazon would be the competitor, not the channel. This is the structural opportunity for specialist dealers: invest in brand relationships that Amazon can never build.
Direct-to-Dealer: the manufacturer relationship as competitive advantage
More and more manufacturers are recognising that Amazon takes their margin and customer data — without strengthening dealer relationships. The Dealer Checkout model is a response to this: the manufacturer sells on their own website and forwards the paid order to their specialist dealer.
For the specialist dealer, this means: you become part of the manufacturer's direct sales channel. You receive orders from the manufacturer's website traffic — without Amazon, without commission, without effort. And the customer who comes to you via the manufacturer already knows the brand. They're ready to buy.
That's the positioning Amazon cannot occupy: authorised partner of a strong brand, delivering directly and providing expert service.
What specialist dealers should do now
First: focus on the manufacturers where you have or can build a genuine partnership. Not all of them — the few where your expertise counts.
Second: start the conversation with those manufacturers. Ask whether they're actively routing their website visitors to you — and if not, why not. The Direct-to-Dealer model is new for many manufacturers. But it solves a problem they all have.
Third: use Amazon for what it's good at — visibility on broad commodity products. But don't build on it. The channel that secures your specialist retail long-term runs through your manufacturer partners — not a platform that can delist you at any time.
Conclusion
Beating Amazon is the wrong goal. The right goal is to occupy positions that Amazon structurally cannot: expertise, brand authorisation, local presence, and the ability to receive pre-paid orders from manufacturer website traffic. That's the path to growth as a specialist dealer in 2026 — not through price competition, but through better channels.