Amazon said the change is intended to give consumers more insight into who they’re buying from. Sellers are already required to disclose this information to Amazon, but the policy change will make it so that the information is available for everyone to see.
“We are making this change to ensure there is a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions,” the company said Wednesday in a notice to sellers.
The change will take effect starting September 1.
Expanding information available to consumers
By enacting the new policy, Amazon is aiming to provide greater transparency to U.S. consumers and crack down on issues like counterfeit items and unsafe or expired products. Listing seller information will make it easier for customers to get in contact with the seller or take legal action in the event that they purchased an item that caused harm.
Amazon has already implemented a similar policy across its stores in Europe, Japan, and Mexico in accordance with local laws. In its announcement Wednesday, Amazon said it’s striving for consistency in its marketplace policies.
“Over the years, we have developed many ways for sellers to share more about their business, including through features like the seller profile pages, ‘Store’ pages for brand owners, and Handmade ‘Maker Profile’ pages,” an Amazon spokesperson said.
“These features help customers learn more about sellers’ businesses and their products. Beginning September 1, we will also display sellers’ business name and address on their Amazon.com seller profile page to ensure there is a consistent baseline of seller information to help customers make informed shopping decisions.”
Amazon’s U.S. marketplace is its largest, with 461,000 active sellers based in the U.S.