Amazon has announced an expansion of its Shop Direct program, which allows the e-commerce giant's customers to shop directly from other retailers' websites while remaining within Amazon's ecosystem.

The program works by sending Amazon customers to participating merchants' own websites to complete purchases, rather than requiring those retailers to sell through Amazon's marketplace. This approach allows retailers to maintain control over their customer relationships and data while still benefiting from Amazon's vast customer base.

The expansion means more merchants will now be eligible to participate in the program, though Amazon has not disclosed specific numbers or criteria for participation. The initiative represents a departure from Amazon's traditional model of hosting third-party sellers on its own platform.

The Shop Direct program is part of Amazon's broader strategy to diversify its revenue streams and maintain its position as a primary destination for online shopping, even when customers ultimately purchase from competitors. For participating retailers, the program offers access to Amazon's customer traffic without requiring them to operate within Amazon's standard seller framework.

The timing of the expansion comes as Amazon continues to face scrutiny over its market dominance and relationships with third-party sellers, while also exploring new ways to generate revenue beyond its core marketplace operations.