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    • Customer segmentation using amazon_retail_purchases

    Introduction

    Amazon Ads recently introduced the amazon_retail_purchases table β€” part of the same-named program β€” which tracks a five-year purchase history by user and ASIN.
    (You can find the documentation titled β€œIntroduction to amazon_retail_purchases” in the AMC directory.)

    Using this dataset, I built a customer cohort report β€” a la Fulton Report β€” consisting of four customer segments, and compared their three-year performance.
    The first two of the five available years were used for customer cohort segmentation.
    (See the segmentation rule chart below.)

    Why This Analysis Matters

    The strength of this report is that it allows marketers to assess weekly topline revenue performance by customer segment, decomposed into three intuitive drivers:

    1. Underlying number of customers
    2. Retention rate (% of retained customers)
    3. Revenue per retained customer

    These metrics apply to the first three repeat-customer segments.

    This structure reveals which customer segment is performing above or below expectations relative to your annual plan.
    Because the underlying number of customers is known a priori, it provides an assumption check for your retention rate targets in the operating plan.

    Current-Year-New Customers

    For the Current-Year-New segment, retention metrics do not yet apply.
    The focus is instead on tracking the number of new buyers relative to plan.
    Monitoring this metric weekly helps evaluate acquisition pace early in the fiscal cycle.

    Why This Approach Is Powerful

    The AMC loyalty segmentation report offers a forward-looking diagnostic that identifies growth potential earlier than traditional unit-economics or product-based sales reports.
    It turns AMC data into a strategic planning and performance-tracking tool, not just a measurement report.

    Data Accuracy Check

    A common question is whether AMC-derived revenue aligns with Vendor Central data.
    In practice, the difference is minimal β€” typically around 0.1% annually, confirming strong consistency and reliability for business analysis.

    Customer Segmentation Rule

    Alt text: Customer segmentation rule chart defining Prior-year-non-new, Prior-year-new, 1-year-inactive, and Current-year-new segments for AMC Fulton Report.

    Takeaway

    By leveraging the amazon_retail_purchases table, you can transform Amazon Marketing Cloud from a measurement platform into a strategic forecasting engine β€” quantifying retention, identifying growth opportunities, and validating your annual plan assumptions with precision.