The 2026 Marketplace IndexTM: Why Some Brands Win on Amazon (and It's Not Their Ad Budget)

Every brand selling on Amazon has had this moment. You open your sales dashboard, check how your category is performing, and see a competitor pulling ahead again. Their product isn't better. Their price isn't lower. Yet somehow, they keep winning.

So what are they doing differently?

That's the question behind the Marketplace Index^TM. Each year, we compare thousands of brands across Amazon markets to see which are executing the fundamentals that drive performance, and which are falling behind. For 2026, that also includes how ready brands are for AI-led shopping.

After four years of doing this, the answer is surprisingly consistent. The brands that win usually aren't doing anything groundbreaking. They're just doing the basics really well, everywhere, all the time.

The Basics Keep Getting Harder

Here's the catch. What counted as a strong execution a few years ago is now an expectation, especially in more established markets. Take Prime eligibility for example. In 2023, fewer than half of the products we evaluated in the US market were Prime eligible. Today, it's nearly nine in ten. Shoppers don't see fast delivery as a perk anymore; they expect it.

The same thing is happening with Brand Stores, richer images, and A+ Content. They used to set leaders apart. Now, shoppers almost expect every brand to have them. If you’re still treating them as nice-to-haves, you’re already behind.

Big Names Don't Always Get It Right

The Marketplace Index is not a sales leaderboard, and that is exactly what makes the rankings interesting. Instead of measuring how much a brand sells, it looks at how well brands are executing the fundamentals that support long-term growth. That means some of the highest scorers are not always the names you would expect.

We also found that strength in one market does not guarantee strength in another. Some of the world’s best-known brands rank near the top in the US but perform very differently elsewhere. Success on Amazon has to be built market by market, with the right execution for each one.

AI Is Changing the Game

Shopping on Amazon is also starting to change. Shoppers are starting to move beyond the search bar and asking Alexa for Shopping questions such as "What's the best moisturizer for sensitive skin?" The answer they get is a short list of recommendations, and Alexa can only recommend what it understands.

That creates a new challenge for brands. Most product pages cover the basic facts. Far fewer clearly explain who a product is for, when it should be used, what problem it solves, and why its features matter. That context is becoming more important as AI-led shopping develops. Brands that improve it now have an opportunity to get ahead while the standard is still taking shape.

So Where Do You Stand?

The good news is that almost every gap we found can be fixed. Most brands don't need a bigger budget. They need a clearer picture of where they're falling short.

That's exactly what the Marketplace Index gives you. Built by Podean in partnership with Jungle Scout, the 2026 edition draws on more than 2 million data points to benchmark more than 3,500 brands across categories ranging from beauty and household essentials to electronics, grocery, and toys. Covering six Amazon markets- the US, UK, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia- it also shows brands selling across multiple countries how their performance compares from market to market.

Every brand is assessed using the same framework and ranked against the competitors in its category. That means you can see where you stand, what is driving your position, and where the strongest brands are pulling ahead.

The 2026 edition is now live across all six markets. Inside each report, you will find:

• Category and brand rankings that show how brands compare with competitors in their category
• Scores across every pillar covering Retail, Content, Media, Customer Sentiment, and AI Readiness
• Year-over-year movement that shows which brands are gaining ground and where performance has slipped
• Cross-market comparisons that reveal how brands perform across different Amazon marketplaces
• Category and market trends that show how standards are changing and where the biggest opportunities remain

Your Next Move

Start with your market's report and find your brand. See who's ahead of you and what they're doing differently, then use those gaps as your roadmap for the year ahead.

Ready to see where your brand stands? Explore the 2026 Marketplace Index and access the free reports for all six markets.

Not Featured in the Rankings?

If your brand isn't in this year's rankings, reach out to us at contact@podean.com, and we'll give you a free assessment showing how you compare.

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The Marketplace Index^TM is powered by Podean, the world's largest independent marketplace-focused growth partner and a top-tier Amazon Advanced Partner. With more than 450 marketplace specialists and local teams across North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East, we help brands navigate and win in global marketplaces through end-to-end solutions built for long-term growth.

Want to learn more about how Podean can help strengthen your Amazon strategy? Get in touch with our team.