Retail dominance in the U.S. has been flipped on its head, with Amazon recently surpassing Walmart in revenue for the first time ever. As the two giants battle for territory, each is carving out new ways to capture audiences and their cash. 

To gain insight into the driving forces behind their growth, we spoke with Tim Zawislack, previous Chief Digital Officer at Conair, ex-Orgins (Estée Lauder), ex-Ray-Ban (EssilorLuxottica). Tim is a senior e-commerce executive with global D2C & B2B experience and has a proven track record of delivering rapid, profitable digital growth for multi-brand portfolio companies in private equity and public company environments.

Amazon luxury: Zawislack believes Amazon’s growth can largely be attributed to its ability to attract a broad spectrum of brands, including those that were traditionally hesitant to join the platform. "Brands are going to Amazon because that’s where the fish are biting," Zawislack explains. "Even luxury or premium brands, which wouldn't typically be associated with Amazon, are recognizing that’s where their customers are."

A channel you can’t ignore: While some high-end brands like Rolex or Hermes may never establish a direct presence on Amazon, Zawislack points out that for many others, it’s becoming a vital channel. "If you're a premium brand, Amazon might not be your only channel, but it's definitely a part of the conversation," he says. "It makes sense for the majority of brands to have some sort of presence there, even if it’s just to legitimize the product and direct the customer experience."