So Amazon aStore (here’s mine) is going to be improved soon. Here’s a snip from their email:
The next release of aStore (currently slated for a late November release) will allow Associates to:
* Build and maintain multiple aStores using a single Associate ID
* Specify products to feature on Category and Sub-Category pages
* Create multiple instances of individual categories and sub-categories (e.g. Beatles Music and Rolling Stones Music)
* Feature up to 54 products on the front page of your store rather than the current limit of nine
* Write longer custom product descriptions
* Better control the layout and design for use in frames by providing the capability to remove the store header and category navigation
The big deal here is the ability to choose and feature more products in more areas. Again, to me, the most valuable application in this is less the "I have an Amazon store on my site" than the "I can offer for sale a custom set of products that appeal to me/ say something about me/ are endorsed by me and will be fulfilled by an outside service".
Slides right into my Brand Pantheon. More on that later.