For the acquisition to work, ShopRunner needs to grow and major retailers Target or Walmart would have to adopt the platform, Rick Watson, CEO of marketplace and e-commerce consulting firm RMW Commerce Consulting, wrote when the deal was announced.

He also listed other requirements, such as ShopRunner’s founders and principals remaining with the company for a while. “The theory is this - by controlling the distribution channel - in particular the payment relationship, you can control which carrier gets the parcel,” he wrote. “In short, I don't think (Amazon) is losing a lot of sleep right now.”