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TLDR;
Amazon is shifting from cheap and fast to a brand-forward marketplace. Premium A+, Brand Stores, and shoppable video reward brands that invest in design, UX, and cohesive storytelling. This guide shows what changed, the playbook to qualify for Premium A+, how to build a high-converting Store, and what to measure next.
Amazon was once synonymous with "cheap + fast," a logistics engine that promised one-day shipping and low prices. But today, Amazon is a branding battleground, where visual storytelling, design consistency, and emotional trust matter as much as delivery speed. Brand Stores updated within 90 days see 13% higher attributed sales per visitor. Premium A+ modules are driving up to 20% sales lifts. One-third of premium beauty customers now shop on Amazon.
If you're selling CPG or consumer goods, you may be asking: can my brand be premium on Amazon, or is Amazon inherently a discount channel?
The short answer: Amazon is becoming premium, and your brand's design and UX must catch up. The question isn't whether to invest in Amazon brand building. It's how fast you can deploy a system that scales.
Below, we'll break down what changed on the platform, who's winning, and a phased playbook with real examples from beauty, pet, coffee, and supplements.
The Shift: From Lowest-Price Grid to Brand Canvas
Then: Selection, price, speed. Listings were commodity shelves.
Now: Content quality and brand experience matter. A+ modules, storefronts, and video are standard. Basic A+ can lift sales up to ~8%, while well-implemented Premium A+ can lift sales up to ~20%.
Why This Matters to Premium CPG
Amazon is validating brand building natively with better modules, richer video, and higher-fidelity ad surfaces. That makes Amazon fair game for upmarket positioning, not just price plays.
The numbers back it up. Brand Stores updated within 90 days see 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor. Traffic from Amazon brand ads sees 55% more pageviews when directed to a storefront versus other landing pages.
What's New (& Why It's Premium-Leaning)
Premium A+ and Brand Story Are Table Stakes
To qualify for Premium A+, you typically need a published Brand Story for all brand-owned ASINs and at least five approved A+ Content projects within the past 12 months. Brand Story (the "From the brand" carousel) is now your home for mission, values, and proof points that differentiate you from the commodity crowd.
Pro tip: Don't sleep on this prerequisite. Premium A+ unlocks interactive hotspots, video integration, and sophisticated layouts that can drive up to 20% sales increases.
Brand Stores Have Matured Into Mini-Sites
Stores are purpose-built for brand education, category navigation, and a cohesive look. Premium A+ modules can boost performance by up to 20%, and the majority of Amazon visits happen on mobile devices, making mobile-first design mandatory, not optional.
Amazon's data shows higher purchase frequency and add-to-cart rates when shoppers engage with Stores. Specifically, updated Stores (within 90 days) see 11% more repeat visitors and 13% higher attributed sales per visitor.
Translation: your Store is a revenue driver, not a vanity page.
Video Surfaces Now Connect Awareness to Conversion
Here's where it gets interesting. Sponsored TV is a self-service streaming TV ad solution with no minimum spend, reaching audiences across Prime Video, Twitch, and Freevee. This isn't your typical upper-funnel play. Amazon's billions of buying, browsing, and streaming signals help brands reach their ideal audience, with closed-loop measurements to understand how streaming TV ads contribute to brand growth.
The interactive formats deliver real impact:
QR codes that scan directly to your Store
Pause ads that let viewers add to cart while content is paused
Remote-click interactivity for Fire TV users
Sponsored TV serves across Prime Video, Twitch, Freevee, and third-party channels through Amazon Publisher Direct. Advertisers using Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display during Prime Day 2024 saw a 47% increase in sales compared to average category growth.
Posts Are Gone: Focus Your Effort Where Shoppers Engage
Amazon deprecated Posts beginning June 3, 2025, citing declining impressions and the upcoming redesign of search and detail pages. New post creation was disabled between June 16–23, 2025 (depending on account type), with full shutdown on July 31, 2025.
The takeaway? Amazon is moving away from free, organic social-style tools and doubling down on paid ad products that deliver measurable results. Reallocate that energy into A+ variants, Store storytelling, and shoppable video.
Off-Amazon Trust via Buy with Prime
The Shopify x Buy with Prime integration lets you pipe Prime trust (fast, reliable shipping and returns) into your DTC site while keeping Shopify checkout. This bridges brand experiences across channels and can lift DTC conversion by reducing friction for Prime members.
Proof It's Happening: Premium Brands Are Leaning In
Beauty Brands Dominating
In 2024, Premium Beauty launched more than 300 brands, with Clinique becoming the first Estée Lauder company to join Amazon in March 2024. The brand built a U.S. Premium Beauty storefront with virtual try-on and dermatologist-led education.
Estée Lauder followed with a virtual try-on tool, and analysts are now citing Amazon as part of ELC's rebound strategy. Premium beauty brands jumped 35.5% in dollars and 34% in units for the 52 weeks ending November 2024.
The Success Stories Scaling Right Now
Hero Cosmetics: The Mighty Patch has held the #1 spot in Amazon's Top 25 Beauty & Personal Care products since Q4 2023. Their success? Problem-solving, minimalist skincare with fast, visible results. They turned a trend they helped create into lasting category dominance.
CeraVe: CeraVe commands significant share of Amazon beauty sales, proving that dermatologist-backed formulas and ingredient transparency win on Amazon. Their consistent performance across multiple quarters shows the power of clinical credibility at accessible price points.
TIRTIR & K-Beauty: K-beauty brands like TIRTIR have disrupted the Western market with viral momentum, posting unit sales growth of 7,556% year-over-year. Since launching on Amazon in January 2023, TIRTIR experienced a 3,000% increase in sales in 2024 driven by TikTok virality and now holds 1.24% revenue share on Amazon, surpassing Estée Lauder. Their success stems from professional-grade results at accessible price points, proving viral momentum can translate to sustained sales.
One luxury skincare brand transformed their Amazon presence by investing in professional photography, comprehensive A+ Content, and strategic influencer partnerships. Within six months, they saw a 340% increase in organic traffic and a 28% improvement in conversion rates.
One-third of premium beauty customers in the U.S. shop on Amazon, and more than two-thirds of beauty customers are Amazon Prime users. If you think your premium brand doesn't belong on Amazon, you're missing a massive, high-intent audience.
It's Not Just Beauty: Cross-Category Wins
This playbook works beyond beauty. Here's proof from other premium CPG categories:
Pet Care: A premium dog treat brand implemented a comparison chart in their A+ Content showing ingredient quality versus mass-market competitors. Combined with lifestyle imagery of "real dogs, real homes," they saw a 32% lift in conversion rate and a 15% decrease in return rate because shoppers understood exactly what they were buying.
Coffee: A specialty coffee roaster rebuilt their Brand Store with navigation by roast level (light, medium, dark) and origin (single-origin collections). Each subpage featured tasting notes, brewing guides, and video from the roastery. Result: 41% increase in units per transaction as customers explored the catalog rather than buying single SKUs.
Supplements: A clean supplement brand used Premium A+ video to demonstrate their 3rd-party testing process and added a robust FAQ module addressing common objections ("Is this NSF certified?" "Why this form of magnesium?"). Returns dropped 22%, and review sentiment improved with fewer "doesn't work" complaints from shoppers who had unrealistic expectations.
What "Premium" Looks Like on an Amazon PDP
Premium on Amazon = maxing out the template with intention.
Image stack:
Studio hero shot (white background, product-focused)
Lifestyle in context (show the product being used)
Scale cues (size relative to hand, room, etc.)
Texture/detail zooms (material quality, craftsmanship)
Benefit infographics (scannable, visual explanations)
UGC/social proof (real customers, real results)
Copy:
Scannable benefits with micro-headlines per image
Comparison chart to clarify tradeoffs vs. competitors
Address objections preemptively with FAQs
Modules:
Premium A+ with video + interactive hotspots
Brand Story for ethos and differentiation
Comparison tables for trade-up logic
Strategic use of whitespace for premium feel
Testing: Use Manage Your Experiments for images, titles, and A+ variants. Brands need to run A/B tests for 4–10 weeks and roll winners quickly.
The Neato Playbook: Compete Beyond Convenience
Audit and Prioritize
Map ASINs by traffic and margin: Pick 3 hero SKUs for premium treatment first
Check Brand Story coverage and Premium A+ eligibility: Close gaps immediately
Identify quick wins: Which products have good traffic but poor conversion? Those are your low-hanging fruit
Creative System (Designed Once, Reused Everywhere)
Build a visual system that aligns with DTC/retail:
Grid and type scale for consistency
Icon set for benefits and features
Lifestyle photography guidelines
Comparison templates
Alt-text rules for accessibility and SEO
Produce two variants of key A+ modules and image stacks for experiments. This isn't about perfection. It's about iteration.
Store That Actually Sells
Treat your Brand Store like a landing site:
Clear navigation: Don't make shoppers hunt
Collection tiles: Shop by category, use case, or bestsellers
Education panels: Address common questions and objections
Seasonal "editorial" rows: Limited runs, new launches, collabs
Sponsored Brands "Drive page visits" campaigns using Brand Store landing pages saw 28% higher attributed sales compared to other landing page options.
Drive paid traffic to Store subpages that mirror your category architecture. This keeps the experience cohesive and conversion-focused.
Shoppable Video Where Premium Lives
Test Sponsored TV for top-of-funnel reach (155 million U.S. viewers), then retarget on-site with Sponsored Brand Video/Display and a polished PDP experience.
Video Builder is free and can create videos for Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and other online video placements in minutes using simple image and text templates.
Video best practices:
Open with your brand-building product in the first 2 seconds
Include lifestyle scenarios showing practical product application
Be consistent with branding across video assets
Optimize for sound-off viewing (many shoppers browse without audio)
Add interactive Prime Video formats: QR codes, pause ads, remote-click overlays to close the loop on consideration.
Bridge DTC Trust
Add Buy with Prime to Shopify PDPs and post-purchase flows. This harmonizes expectations (shipping, returns) and raises DTC conversion while maintaining your brand's look and feel.
Measure Like a Brand, Not Just a Seller
North stars:
PDP view-to-detail rate
Dwell time
Add-to-cart rate
Conversion rate
Review velocity and quality
Store engagement (pageviews, time on site)
Run A/Bs for 4–10 weeks and roll winners. Amazon rewards consistent month-over-month growth over sudden spikes. Steady beats sporadic.
The Do's & Don'ts: Premium Brand Edition
✅ Do:
Use Premium A+ modules (video, hotspots) and a concise Brand Story
Build a comparison table that nudges trade-up with benefits and use cases
Localize imagery (skin tone, context, season) and show "kit"/routine logic for beauty/wellness
Launch a Store editorial row (launches, collabs, limited runs) and rotate monthly
Include ingredient keywords in your nonbranded search strategy. Highly relevant, lower-funnel search terms have stronger click-through rates than upper-funnel broad terms
❌ Don't:
Over-style at the expense of clarity (busy infographics kill comprehension)
Leave your Store empty or half-built and then send ads to it
Treat Posts content as a plan. It's been discontinued as of June/July 2025; invest in A+ and video instead
Ignore mobile optimization. Design mobile-first, as most Amazon visits are on phones
Neglect reviews. Customers' first stop is always the reviews; they don't fear premium pricing, they fear "hope in a jar"
Your Amazon Brand-Building Roadmap (3-Phase Framework)
Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1–2)
Goal: Audit current state, identify gaps, and prepare premium-grade assets
Audit Brand Story coverage across hero ASINs; request Premium A+ access if eligible
Draft two A+ concepts per hero SKU; shoot/retouch for mobile-first crops
Review current video assets for Sponsored TV compliance (16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 minimum, H.264 format)
Map your product hierarchy to inform Store navigation and collection strategy
Foundation Success Metric: Clear inventory of what exists, what's missing, and what needs optimization
Phase 2: Launch & Test (Weeks 3–6)
Goal: Deploy V1 of premium content, set up experiments, and establish traffic patterns
Publish V1 across 3 SKUs, spin Manage Your Experiments for images/A+
Stand up a Store refresh (clear nav + 3 editorial sections) and drive Sponsored Brand traffic to subpages
Launch your first Sponsored TV campaign with a modest daily budget ($50–100/day) to test reach and engagement
Set up retargeting flows using Sponsored Display to recapture Store visitors
Launch Success Metric: Live experiments running, baseline performance data collecting, traffic flowing to Store
Phase 3: Scale & Optimize (Weeks 7–12)
Goal: Roll winners, expand to more SKUs, and establish repeatable systems
Roll winning variants to the next 10 ASINs based on experiment data
Pilot Sponsored TV or shoppable Prime Video format for your hero line
Align retargeting to Store subpages using Sponsored Display
Optimize video content: highlight key features in the first 3 seconds and incorporate videos throughout your Brand Store, especially above the homepage fold
Document your creative system so you can replicate success across the catalog
Scale Success Metric: Measurable lift in conversion, expansion to broader catalog, documented playbook for future SKUs
Ongoing: Tentpole Event Strategy
Amazon rewards planning and coordination across major sales events: Prime Day, Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Prime Big Deal Days, and category-specific events. Advertisers who implemented coordinated holistic advertising strategies using Sponsored Display during tentpole events saw a 139% increase in sales compared to average category growth.
Plan 60–90 days ahead for major events:
Forecast inventory needs and secure stock early
Allocate ad budgets 30% higher than BAU (business as usual)
Prepare event-specific Store tiles and creative refreshes
Schedule promotional pricing and Lightning Deals in advance
Set up campaign day-parting to maximize high-traffic windows
FAQ & Measurement: Your Questions Answered
Is Amazon "on brand" for premium products?
Yes, and increasingly so. Premium brands jumped 35.5% in dollars and 34% in units on Amazon in 2024. Major prestige players like Clinique, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, and Giorgio Armani Beauty have launched on Amazon with virtual try-on tools, dermatologist-led education, and premium storefronts. One-third of premium beauty customers in the U.S. shop on Amazon. The platform has matured from commodity shelf to brand canvas, but only if you treat it that way.
How do I qualify for Premium A+ Content?
Premium A+ eligibility typically requires:
A published Brand Story on all brand-owned ASINs in your catalog
At least 5 approved projects within the past 12 months
Active Brand Registry enrollment
Once eligible, Premium A+ unlocks interactive hotspot modules, video integration, and sophisticated layouts that can drive up to 20% sales increases versus standard product pages.
Should I send Sponsored Brands traffic to my Store or a product detail page?
It depends on your goal, but Store landing pages often win. Sponsored Brands campaigns using Brand Store landing pages saw 28% higher sales compared to other landing page options.
Use Store when:
Featuring multiple products or a lifestyle/collection
Building brand awareness and education
Encouraging catalog exploration
Use PDP when:
Promoting a single, specific SKU
Running a deal or limited-time offer
Conversion is the sole KPI
Amazon Posts are discontinued: where should that effort go?
Amazon Posts were deprecated June/July 2025 due to declining impressions. Reallocate that creative energy to:
A+ Content variants (test different layouts, benefits, imagery)
Brand Store storytelling (editorial rows, seasonal refreshes)
Shoppable video (Sponsored TV, Sponsored Brands Video, Prime Video ads)
These channels offer better targeting, measurement, and conversion impact than Posts ever delivered.
What's a realistic budget for Premium A+ Content creation?
Budget varies by complexity and whether you're working in-house or with an agency:
Light refresh (per hero SKU): $2,000–5,000
Update existing A+ with new photography
Optimize copy and layout
2–3 module variants for testing
Premium build (per hero SKU): $5,000–15,000
Full Premium A+ with video and interactive hotspots
Brand Story integration
Custom illustration/infographics
Multiple variants for experimentation
Full catalog rollout (10+ SKUs): $25,000–75,000+
Creative system (templates, style guide, asset library)
Phased rollout with testing
Store refresh aligned with A+ content
Budget for ongoing testing (10–15% of initial investment annually) to keep content fresh and optimized.
How do I measure success? Map creative upgrades to metrics.
Every content investment should tie to measurable outcomes. Here's what to track:
Creative Upgrade | Primary Metrics | What Good Looks Like |
A+ Content refresh | PDP conversion rate, return rate | +5–20% CVR lift, -10–15% return rate |
Premium A+ (video + interactive) | Dwell time, video completion rate, CVR | +30–60s dwell time, 50%+ completion, +15–20% CVR |
Brand Store refresh | Store attributed sales per visitor, repeat visitors | +13% attributed sales, +11% repeat visitors (when updated ≤90 days) |
Sponsored TV launch | Branded search lift, NTB (new-to-brand) | +20–50% branded search, 30–40% NTB rate |
Sponsored Brands → Store | Store visits, units per transaction | +28% attributed sales vs. other landing pages |
Comparison charts in A+ | CVR, return rate, review sentiment | +10–15% CVR, improved "met expectations" scores |
Use Amazon's Manage Your Experiments tool to run A/B tests for 4–10 weeks, then roll winners across your catalog.
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