Amazon shows seller ratings on product search results in new test

Amazon is testing a new feature on its e-commerce marketplace that spotlights seller ratings in product search results.

We came across the new “seller rating” feature while browsing for products on Amazon’s mobile app.

“At Amazon, we’re always innovating on behalf of customers to improve the shopping experience,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to GeekWire. “Right now, we’re experimenting with showing seller ratings on some product categories to help our customers make more informed purchase decisions.”

Customer reviews and ratings have become central to online commerce, playing a huge role in determining which products succeed or fail on Amazon and other sites. A study by Northwestern University’s Spiegel Research Center found that nearly 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase.

But adding seller ratings on product search results brings a new element to Amazon’s online shopping experience.

Consumers typically have to click through to an item and then click on the seller’s profile to see a rating.

Amazon’s experiment elevates the visibility of the rating in a substantial way.

“So now the customers will know how good a seller we are??” wrote Vanessa Hung, CEO of an Amazon seller management agency, in a LinkedIn post about the new feature.

Amazon’s star rating system for products is not just a simple average of all reviews, but rather uses “machine-learned models” that take into account different factors such as how recent the rating is and verified purchase status.

It’s not clear if the same method is used for seller ratings.

Amazon has long dealt with the persistent problem of fraudulent customer reviews for products, but the prevalence of fake reviews left on seller profiles is unclear.

Third-party sellers account for more than 60% of units sold for Amazon, a number that has steadily increased over the years.

Amazon has been expanding services and products for third-party merchants, including various generative AI tools for sellers in recent months.

Revenue from third-party seller services was up 12% to $36.2 billion in the second quarter, accounting for nearly 25% of the company’s total revenue.

Amazon last year tested a new way to display product ratings on search pages by showing the star rating, and then a number reflecting what percentage of reviews gave a certain rating, versus showing the actual quantity of reviews.

The tech giant also last year started to roll out AI-generated review highlights.