Amazon Shakes Up Search, Again

Amazon influences all types of purchases, but Electronics and Computers at 76% in the U.S. stands out above the rest as the most notable market segment.

Kenshoo's survey of 3,100 consumers in the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and France suggests that 72% visit Amazon to research products before making a purchase. Even if they find a product elsewhere online, 51% usually check Amazon to find alternative ideas, compare prices or gather more information before making a purchase. And 26% admittedly check Amazon for alternatives, background information and prices when they find a potential purchase in a physical store.

Amazon carries more than 353 million products, according to the study. The marketplace also influences purchases in other product categories. Health and Beauty products came in at 59%, followed by Music, Movies or Games at 57%; Fashion and Clothing, 52%; Books, 55%; Home Appliances, 46%; Furniture and Home Furnishings, 40%; Toys, 39%; Sports Equipment and Clothing, 34%; Garden Equipment and Furniture; Food and Grocery, 26%; and Beer, Wine and Spirits, 9%.

In July, Kenshoo formed an ecommerce business. The study -- Amazon: The Big E-Commerce Marketing Opportunity for Brands -- accompanies the general availability of Kenshoo's ecommerce platform to manage ad campaigns on Amazon alongside search and social advertising.

With all this searching on Amazon, 84% of searchers in the U.S. still turn to Google, compared with 71% who turn to Amazon. Only 20% search on Bing for products before they make a purchase decision, according to the findings. That's less than Facebook, Pinterest, and eBay at 36%, 24%, and 31%, respectively.

Similar patterns for searching exist elsewhere -- for example, in the U.K, 80% search on Google to find product ideas and information before making a purchase, compared with 73% on Amazon. German consumers use Bing the least at 6%, rising slightly to 9% in France and the U.K.

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