[Beginner EC Manager Must-Know] What is "Amazon Price History"? Basics of Competitor Analysis Using Keepa

In selling on Amazon Marketplace, the "price" of a product is the biggest variable influencing sales. However, Amazon's price is not fixed. It fluctuates by the second due to automatic adjustment by algorithms and trends of competitors. The concept to visualize this fluctuation and incorporate it into strategy isgrasping "Amazon Price History". In this article, we explain the basics of analysis methods utilizing Keepa, which is an essential skill for EC managers.

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Why EC Managers Need to Track "Price History"

On Amazon, multiple sellers exist for the same ASIN (item identification number). What becomes important here is acquiring the "Buy Box". Amazon's system comprehensively judges price, delivery speed, inventory status, seller rating, etc., and displays the most excellent seller in the cart.

Especially price, Dynamic Pricing fluctuates frequently due to . By analyzing past price history, it becomes possible to hypothesize "when prices drop" and "when competitors are launching inventory clearance".

Basic Functions and Views of Industry Standard Tool "Keepa"

In investigating "Amazon Price History", the tool "Keepa" is unavoidable. Keepa tracks price history, ranking, and inventory status of almost all products on Amazon.

Amazon Direct Price: Orange graph. Price sold by Amazon itself.
New Price (Marketplace): Blue graph. Price of third-party sellers.
Sales Rank: Green graph. If the ranking goes up (number gets smaller), it suggests the product sold.

Competitor Inventory & Sales Strategy Decoded from Price History

By decoding the waveform of price history, the "intention" of competitors becomes visible. For example, if the ranking rises sharply in a phase where the price drops sharply, boost by time sale or promotion is highly likely being applied.

Conversely, if the price is constant but inventory count (checkable with Keepa paid version) is decreasing, it can be said to be a healthy product selling by organic demand. By organizing these data MECE (Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive), you can optimize your own price revision timing.

Q. How should price history during sale periods be handled?

A. During large sales like Prime Day, extremely low prices are attached temporarily. Do not make this the year-round standard, but grasp it as "bottom price during sale" and utilize it as a benchmark to raise your own inventory turnover rate.