I think Amazon's dominance in e-commerce has quietly made it nearly impossible for small online shops to survive without selling through their marketplace. I've watched two independent brands I liked disappear last year, and both cited rising ad costs and Prime shipping expectations as the tipping point. Sure, some niche stores thrive on direct relationships, but the economics of customer acquisition have shifted so dramatically that the cozy independent web store feels like a relic. Is it fair to say that Amazon effectively controls the market, making true competition a myth?