Amazon.com had the e-retail playing field largely to itself when the company launched online in the mid 1990s, but even with the huge amount of competition it faces today, the retailer remains at the head of the pack. Amazon stays at the top not only because it does so many things well, but because of tactics that other retailers don’t even try, says Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor, which helps retailers sell through online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.

He will speak at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2011 in a session entitled “How does Amazon do it? An in-depth look at e-retailing’s pacesetter”. During the session he will discuss the elements that drive Amazon’s success and what lessons they hold for other online retailers.

Wingo says his company has a unique perspective on Amazon because so many of its e-retailer customers are active on the Amazon marketplace, making their collective growth on Amazon a proxy for Amazon’s growth overall.

“Amazon is light years ahead of the competition with its search functionality, selection, shipping offerings, steadfast loyalty to its customers and much more,” he says. “In this session, I’ll share the knowledge I’ve gleaned through my front-row seat to selling on Amazon’s marketplace, and will share tips to help retailers earn their share of Amazon’s growth.”  

The session, co-presented by Wall Street analyst Colin Sebastian, will examine all aspects of Amazon’s operation, including how the retailer invests in technology, why its marketplace has been so successful, its financial management practices and what its leadership in mobile has meant to its success.

Internet Retailer’s editors asked Wingo to speak because he’s developed keen insights on what factors are common to successful e-commerce sites. Prior to launching ChannelAdvisor, he was general manager of GoTo Auctions, CEO and co-founder of AuctionRover.com and CEO and co-founder of Stingray Software.